CT 58th House District Election Results: Arnone Holds Off Turner

ENFIELD, CT — Nearly 24 hours after polls closed Tuesday, incumbent Democrat Tom Arnone has retained his seat representing the 58th District in the Connecticut General Assembly, holding off a spirited bid by Republican challenger Mary Ann Turner.

According to unofficial totals provided by the Secretary of the State's office, Arnone received 5,992 votes to prevail by a margin of 1,281 votes. Absentee ballots were the key to Arnone's victory, as he made up a 500-vote deficit he faced at the close of polling Tuesday.

"I predicted the absentee ballots would be a big part of this election, and until they were counted fully, I remained confident we were going to take this thing," Arnone said.

Turner said, "It was a spirited race and I enjoyed many aspects of it and the people I met along the way. I spoke to Tom briefly this evening after all the absentee ballots were counted and I wished him all the best as he continues as our State Representative in the 58th."

The 58th District represents about half of Enfield, including the Thompsonville section.

Historically, the 58th District (previously the 45th District) has been a Democratic stronghold. Since implementation of the district alignment in 1966, just one Republican has been elected to represent the 58th: Greg Stokes, who took advantage of incumbent David Alexander's legal difficulties to oust the Democrat by 680 votes in 2016. Arnone reclaimed the seat for his party two years later, besting Stokes by a 638 vote margin.

Arnone, 59, served as a member of the Public Health, Planning and Development, and Regulations Review Committees in his initial legislative session. Prior to being elected to the state House, he spent four years on the Enfield Town Council, following tenures on the Board of Education and Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency.

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He said repercussions from the coronavirus pandemic are a top priority for Connecticut.

"Connecticut was fortunate to have over $2 billion in reserves to help economic recovery," Arnone told Patch. "We should continue to support businesses through distributing the CARES Act stimulus, paycheck protection program, business response line of credit program. Continue opening up our economy following science and infection rates and continued testing."

Turner, 63, has chaired the Enfield Republican Town Committee for 14 years. She is a longstanding member of the Enfield Zoning Board of Appeals, and also serves on the Economic Development Commission.

She has openly criticized Arnone and his fellow Democrats for voting in favor of a controversial police accountability bill, drafted in the wake of several officer-involved killings throughout the country. The bill, signed into law by Gov. Ned Lamont in late July, will significantly reform policing in the state, including mandates that all officers wear body cameras when interacting with the public. Chokeholds, strangleholds and other tactics restraining oxygen and blood flow are now banned.

"I stand with our police and correction officers and disagree completely with the passing of the Police Accountability Bill," Turner told Patch. "This bill should never have been brought up during the special session in July. It was not vetted properly, public participation was limited and rushed, and getting the people who are affected by this terrible bill to the table and ask for their help was ignored. This bill was a political maneuver and did little, if anything, to make our communities safer."