GREENWICH — Harry Arora has won his first full term in the state House of Representatives in Greenwich’s 151st District.
The race between the Repulican Arora and Democratic challenger Hector Arzeno was too close to call Election Night. But Arzeno called to concede Wednesday morning.
“I am honored that I have an opportunity to serve a second term,” Arora said Wednesday. “I really look forward to putting my heart and mind to work and getting to work. Solving public problems is what I really am in for.”
Arora said the state has many problems to resolve, listing the cost of electricity and the continued management of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There are a lot of things we have to work on — and I’ll be right to work today,” he said.
Arzeno, a retired international finacier who serves on the town RTM, said he felt positively about the campaign he ran depite the outcome.
“I called Harry this morning and congratulated him and said I hoped he would represent all of us in Hartford,” Arzeno said Wednesday. “I was happy with the campaign that I ran. I was happy with the answers I was getting from people and I am very happy with the amount of votes that I got, too. It was a close election, but I think that Arora just had very good support in our district.”
According to preliminary numbers reported to the state, Arora won with 53 percent of the vote, by a margin of just under 1,000 ballots.
Arora, who was a Democrat before challenging Jim Himes in the 4th U.S. Congressional House District in 2018, will serve his first full term in the state legislature. He was first elected in a special election in January to fill the seat vacated by Fred Camillo, who was elected first selectman in November 2019.
The 151st House District, a Republican stronghold, covers parts of Riverside, Old Greenwich, Cos Cob and North Mianus.
As of late Wednesday morning, the race between Republican Kimberly Fiorello and Democrat Kathleen Stowe for the 149th District in the state House of Representatives was still too close to call, according to Greenwich Democratic Town Committee Chair Joe Angland. Republican Town Committee Chair Dan Quigley, on the other hand, said he felt confident Fiorello would win the race.
Preliminary results from Greenwich show Fiorello with a slight edge. But a portion of the district lies in Stamford, where many absentee ballots were still being counted on Wednesday.
Angland predicted a winner would be named by Wednesday afternoon or early evening. Early results from those absentee ballots already counted were encouraging for Stowe, he said.
“Kathleen gained ground with those absentees,” Angland said. “If you extrapolate that out, it’s going to be extremely close.”
Quigley said he understood the Democrats’ desire to wait for the absentees, but reiterated his confidence in Fiorello.
“Based on what we saw there didn’t seem to be a path for Kathleen to come back,” Quigley said. “But I don’t blame them for waiting, at all.”
The district is another Republican stronghold. The seat was empty this year after longtime state Rep. Livvy Floren decided not to seek reelection after serving for 20 years.
In the other House race in Greenwich, Stephen Meskers, the incumbent Democrat in the 150th House District, turned back a challenge from Republican school board member Joe Kelly.
“I couldn’t be happier, I’m so thrilled to be able to serve the community,” Meskers said as he declared victory at just after 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. “I feel like the luckiest guy in the world. It’s a job I love, and I feel honored and humbled by the support I’ve seen in what has been a very conflicted national campaign.”
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