Democrat Sarah Keitt Claims Victory In 134th House District Race

FAIRFIELD, CT — Democrat Sarah Keitt claimed victory Wednesday in the state's 134th House District race, defeating Republican challenger Meghan McCloat by less than a dozen votes following a recount.

According to unofficial numbers from the Secretary of State's office, Keitt garnered 5,143 votes, while McCloat received 5,133. The district represents parts of Fairfield and Trumbull.

In Fairfield, Keitt unofficially received 3,697 votes, compared to McCloat's 3,657. The unofficial Trumbull tally was 1,446 for Keitt, and 1,476 for McCloat.

Keitt carried Fairfield, the hometown of both candidates, by 40 votes, while McCloat had a 30-vote edge in Trumbull, which ultimately was not enough for the victory.

"The voters have spoken," Keitt said in a statement. "After all of the ballots were carefully tallied and meticulously re-counted, I am thrilled to announce that I have won the race for State Representative in Connecticut’s 134th House district by 10 votes. This result demonstrates the truth of the statement, 'EVERY vote matters.'"

For her part, McCloat said she has drafted a complaint with the State Elections Enforcement Commission against Fairfield Democratic Registrar Matthew Waggner, who McCloat accused of violating "multiple Connecticut State Election Laws that constitute Prohibited Acts according to Chapter 151 of the Connecticut General Statutes."

McCloat did not provide a copy of the draft complaint to Patch, but said that the "evidentiary attachments" would be made public in the event of an SEEC investigation.

"Alleged violations include unnecessary printing of photocopied ballots, improper chain of custody of official ballots, false statements on certificates and returns, improper voter count without an official moderator present, and tampering with ballots among other violations," McCloat said in a statement. "These violations, if corroborated, carry criminal penalties and should be the subject of investigation by the State Elections Enforcement Commission."

Patch reached out to Waggner for comment, but on Wednesday afternoon, he said he had not yet seen the complaint.

"I don’t think it’s sensible to go deep on unsubstantiated allegations," Waggner told Patch. "An SEEC complaint would contain the specific statutes they claim were violated and the evidence supporting those claims."

He added that if a complaint was filed, he would gladly respond.

"I don’t want to disparage political people using the process that’s available to them or declare broadly that no mistake could have possibly been made, but I do think being responsible about this stuff requires those making the claims to be direct about what laws they believe were violated," Waggner said.

McCloat said that early on the morning following last week's election, she led by 27 votes.

"By the following morning, after additional absentee ballots were apparently hand counted, the vote was tied," McCloat said. "The next morning, November 11th, an additional vote had been counted for Keitt, resulting in a 1 vote lead."

McCloat added, "Every vote should be counted within the boundaries of written protocols. We need to make sure people’s votes are accurately reflected and the legal process needs to be adhered to. I have grave concerns about the actions of Mr. Waggner. Too many discrepancies and inconsistencies have put a shroud of doubt into this election process. Regardless of the outcome of this election, the compromised integrity to the process is something that any candidate from any party should have great concern over. An instance of election procedure misconduct is a threat to democracy everywhere."

With her unofficial victory, Keitt said she is moving forward.

"It will be the privilege of a lifetime to serve the residents of Fairfield, Trumbull, and Southport in the State House beginning in January," Keitt said. "I have dedicated my life to the service of the common good through my work in public health and advocacy for our students. As your voice in Hartford, I will bring this passion and drive to Hartford serve as your voice in Hartford.

"I congratulate my opponent, Meghan McCloat, on the positive campaign race she ran and hope she will stay engaged with our community."