ENFIELD, CT — State Rep. John Santanella easily defeated challenger Thomas Tyler in Tuesday's court-ordered Democratic primary, ending a campaign that had already made its way through two Connecticut courts.
Unofficial results showed Santanella receiving 83 percent of the vote. About 1,000 Enfield Democrats participated in the special election.
Santanella advances to the Nov. 3 general election, where he will face Republican Kelly Hemmeler for the 58th House District seat. The district covers much of Enfield.
Tuesday's primary was held three weeks after most Connecticut voters went to the polls. The delay followed a legal dispute over Tyler's petition paperwork.
Tyler collected enough signatures to challenge Santanella, the party-endorsed candidate, but a Superior Court judge initially ruled that the petitions were invalid. The town's Democratic registrar had distributed some forms four days earlier than state law allowed, and the returned forms did not include a required signature count.
The Connecticut Supreme Court reversed that decision July 30, restoring Tyler's place on the ballot. Because ballots for the regular Aug. 11 primary had already been printed, the court ordered a separate election for Sept. 1.
Santanella, who also serves as Enfield's deputy mayor, was first elected to the General Assembly in 2024. He won the 58th District seat that November with about 57 percent of the vote.
He had previously called on the state to reimburse Enfield for the cost of conducting the additional primary and for expenses tied to the court case.
For more Northern Connecticut news, follow Patch editor Jay Kenney.
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