Incumbent Democratic state Senator Marilyn Moore easily defeated Bridgeport City Council President Tom McCarthy in the 22nd District party primary Tuesday. Despite being the incumbent, Moore was technically the challenger, as the party officials had backed McCarthy in the district caucus, leading Moore to launch the primary challenge. Moore will now face Trumbull Republican Elaine Hammers in the November election.
Marilyn Moore
Moore received 2,689 votes to McCarthy’s 1,546, a 63.5% to 36.5% win. Turnout was just under 19% across the district, which includes Trumbull, about ⅓ of Bridgeport and a small portion of Monroe.
Moore won big in city districts, racking up a 2,161 to 1,019 margin, or 68% to 32%. In the suburban towns, where most prominent elected Democrats backed McCarthy, the two candidates essentially tied. Among Trumbull voters, McCarthy topped Moore by a single vote, 469 to 468. In Monroe, the margin was two votes in favor of Moore, 60 to 58.
Moore had campaigned hard in Trumbull, citing her work to fund improvements to Stern Village and her collaboration with the town’s Republican representatives to battle the opioid epidemic in the state’s suburbs.
McCarthy had collected the endorsements of numerous prominent Democrats, including former First Selectman Ray Baldwin and Town Treasurer Anthony Musto, who had previously represented the 22nd District for one term before himself losing a primary to Moore in 2014.
