Belton Wins Middletown Special Election For State Representative

MIDDLETOWN, CT — Democrat Kai Belton defeated Republican Deborah Kleckowski in Tuesday’s special election to fill the vacant seat of late Middletown State Rep. Quentin “Q” Williams.

Belton claimed the 100th District seat with 1,716 votes, while Kleckowski received 776 votes, according to unofficial results from the Secretary of the State’s Office.

Williams, 39, was killed Jan. 5 when his vehicle was struck by a wrong-way driver on Route 9 in Cromwell. The other driver was also killed in the crash.

Belton said she was “honored to have earned the support” of the 100th House District to serve as its next state representative.

“I am proud of the campaign that we ran, which focused on the issues facing our residents,” Belton wrote in a post on Facebook. “At every door and with every phone call, I learned more about how Middletown residents are looking for strong representation to address the challenges of their daily lives like rising housing and utility costs and the ongoing youth mental health crisis.

“While we celebrate this victory together, my heart is also heavy knowing we still have just begun the process of mourning in our community. We have a long road ahead and I will be carrying all of your stories as we move into building a future our dear friend Q would be proud of.

“We will honor your legacy, Q. This win is for you.”