SHELTON — The race to represent the 122nd House District, which includes sections of Shelton, Stratford and Trumbull, was still on between incumbent Ben McGorty, a Republican, and Democrat Jose Goncalves as of 10:30 p.m. with not enough precincts reporting to declare for either candidate.
As of 10:30 p.m., McGorty was ahead of Goncalves by more than 2,400 votes, according to tallies received from the Republican Town Committee for Shelton and the Secretary of State’s office for Stratford. No Trumbull numbers were available at that time.
This is the second consecutive election that pitted McGorty against Goncalves, who has lived in Shelton for nearly 40 years and worked for the Bridgeport Board of Education for more than two decades.
McGorty, a Shelton resident for more than three decades, was first elected in a special election on July 22, 2014, and has gone on to win elections in 2016 and 2018. McGorty’s wife, Noreen, is a Fourth Ward alderman.
In the legislature, McGorty is the co-chair of the bipartisan Fire and EMS caucus. McGorty is a member of the Environment, Judiciary and Transportation committees.
McGorty is a realtor with William Raveis. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus and is active in local and statewide fire prevention efforts. He is a 25-year volunteer with the Shelton Fire department and serves on Shelton’s Board of Fire Commissioners.
For more than 25 years, Goncalves worked for the Bridgeport Board of Education and is a member of its Executive Union Board. Goncalves has volunteered with the Shelton Youth Soccer Program at the Boys and Girls Club. He has also served on the Shelton Board of Education.
A Shelton resident for nearly 40 years, Goncalves and his wife have raised three children in Shelton.
brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com