Special Election For First Selectperson In Fairfield: Christine Vitale Cruises To Victory

FAIRFIELD, CT — Incumbent Democrat Christine Vitale won Tuesday's Special Election for First Selectperson in Fairfield, defeating Republican Tony Hwang, and petitioning candidate Matthew Hallock, according to the unofficial vote tally.

The unofficial results from Secretary of State's Office showed that Vitale received 9,563 votes, compared to Hwang's 7,522. Hallock garnered 44 votes.

By 7 p.m. on Tuesday, just over 40 percent of voters had cast ballots, or close to 17,000 of the more than 41,000 registered voters in town, according to unofficial results from FairfieldVotes.org. Those unofficial figures largely held after polls closed.

Vitale finished with nearly 56 percent of the vote, to Hwang's 44 percent.

At her victory celebration Tuesday night at Boca, the restaurant at the H. Smith Richardson Golf Course, Vitale told Patch that her local ties helped her seal the win. Hwang, a Fairfield resident, divides his time between Hartford and the multiple communities he represents as a state senator, she said.

"I've been serving as First Selectperson for seven months, and I think that we've gotten a lot of good things during those seven months," Vitale said. "And, you know, my community knows me. I'm pretty much local."

She also credited her campaign team, led by Campaign Chair Erin Lopez, for helping her get out the vote.

"I had an amazing campaign team," Vitale said. We knocked on a lot of doors. We made a lot of phone calls. We had volunteers from other communities. The team was able to get the word out. And I think that people, right now, voted their values. And, hopefully, they trust that I'm going to listen to them."

Vitale won in nine of the town's 10 districts, losing only in District 1, which votes at Mill Hill School, according to the unofficial tally from FairfieldVotes.

"The people of Fairfield have spoken, overwhelmingly choosing First Selectperson Christine Vitale to continue leading our town," Democratic Town Committee Chair Steve Sheinberg told Patch. Christine has demonstrated that she cares deeply about all Fairfield residents, and her message of steady, inclusive leadership clearly resonated with voters.

"Over the past seven months, Christine has led with collaboration, compassion, and competence. She governs with honor and integrity and will continue to do so as she moves forward in this next chapter of service."

The Special Election was called last year, after the untimely passing of Democratic First Selectman Bill Gerber.

Gerber passed away in July, and soon after, local Republicans mounted a successful petition drive to force the Special Election. Vitale, a former Board of Education Chair who was Gerber's running mate, was named First Selectperson in August.