Recount Over, Republicans Victorious

For the first time since the 1989-1991 Board of Directors, a majority of Republicans will be sworn in as Directors next Monday evening at Cheney Hall.  Mayor-to be Lou Spadaccini led all vote-getters townwide with more than 5300 votes to his credit.  The swing fifth vote will be held by Director-elect Jeff Beckman, whose narrow margin of 22 votes dwindled to 17 during the legally mandated recanvass.

WFSB has a video story up on their website, featuring comments from the ever-intrepid Republican Registrar of Voters in Manchester, Barbara King.

 The Hartford Courant carried the story this morning, written by reporter Jim Farrell.  He quoted Director-elect Jeff Beckman, who learned of the results in a telephone voice mail message from soon-to-be Mayor Lou Spadaccini.  “It’s nice to have the final word and know that all that hard work paid off.”

He also quoted Chairman Wally Irish, commenting on the delay caused by the recanvass.  “After 18 years, it was worth waiting another six days.”

The Journal-Inquirer’s Kim Phillips ran with the story today about both the successful recount and the tedious recanvass process. 

“Good things take time,” Republican Town Chairman Wallace Irish Jr. said today, complimenting moderator Joel Janenda and election workers for their effort. “I hope the secretary of the state allows future counts on machines. It certainly did seem to go back to the future.”

“The General Assembly has to address that in the next session,” Irish said of the recount process. “All I could think of was revisiting Florida. Even the old system was better than this.” 

Irish said Republicans ran as a team and weren’t affected by bullet voting, “Rob Desilet was just as important to us as Lou Spadaccini,” he said.

“We can get down to business now,” said Republican Director Matthew B. Peak.