By John Schwing and Gretchen Webster

WESTPORT — While results in the Kamala Harris vs. Donald Trump presidential election remained at knife edge late Tuesday, local and statewide voting outcomes were solidly in the Democratic column.

Democratic incumbents claimed victory in the three districts representing Westport in the state General Assembly, while fellow Democrats U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy and 4th District U.S. Rep. Jim Himes cruised to easy wins in congressional contests.

The election also was notable because it marked the state’s first general election with early voting — over 14 days — that drew 8,061 registered Westport voters to the polls, out of a total of 24,078, prior to Tuesday, the “official” Election Day. Another 142 new voters were enrolled via same-day registration.

The local results tended to reflect Democrats’ commanding advantage in registered party members, with 10,050 enrolled voters, compared to 4,345 Republicans, 9,479 unaffiliated and 204 categorized as “others.”

Westport results:

State Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, the dean of Westport’s state legislative delegation, walloped John Bolton, his Republican challenger, in winning an eighth term in the 136th House District. Steinberg: 9,418 / Bolton: 4,496

Steinberg told a gathering of local Democrats at the Little Barn restaurant that “Westport has made a difference in this country, and I want to thank you for this. I’m very proud to represent our community in the legislature.”

State Sen. Ceci Maher appeared to be on track for election easily to a second term in the 26th Senate District, which includes Westport and seven other communities, outpacing Republican newcomer Kami Evans. The Westport numbers: Maher: 10,616 / Evans: 5,185 (GOP), 190 (Indpendent)

Maher rolled to a comfortable victory districtwide, according to unofficial tallies: Maher: 29,864 / Evans: 18,017

State Rep. Dominique Johnson also won a second term, beating Republican Peter Bang in the 143rd House District, which includes a slice of southwestern Westport in a majority Norwalk district with a local margin of nearly 62 percent to 38 percent. The Westport numbers: Johnson: 1,350 (Democrat), 22 (Working Families) and 22 (Independent) / Bang: 633

Johnson told the gathering at Little Barn restaurant that according to unofficial results she appears to have carried all the precincts in her district,

“I love you all, Westport, we’re going back to Hartford,” she said.

Michelle Mechanic, the chair of the Democratic Town Committee, while celebrating victories by her party’s local and state candidates, said she was hopeful Kamala Harris would prevail in the presidential contest, but added, “If it doesn;t work out the way we want we will fight and we will do everything we can to keep America the way we want it to be.”

In the 4th Congressional District, Himes appeared headed to winning a ninth term over Republican Michael Goldstein and Independent Benjamin Wesley. The Westport numbers: Himes: 11,388 / Goldstein: 4,696 / Wesley: 163. Districtwide, In unofficial numbers, Himes had about 58 percent of the vote to about 40 percent for Goldstein and about 1.5 percent for Wesley.

Murphy, in the only statewide contest on the 2024 ballot, handily defeated Republican Matthew Corey, who he also had defeated in 2018, and two other opponents. The Westport numbers: Murphy: 11,258 / Corey: 4,650 / Paglino (Green): 85 / Hyde (Cheaper Gas Groceries party): 49

In the presidential race, Westport voted overwhelmingly for Democrat Kamala Harris over Republican Donald Trump. The Westport numbers: Harris: 11,744 / Trump: 4,468 / Stein (Green): 88 / Oliver (Libertarian): 83

Westport voters supported the state Constitution question that would lift restrictions on voting by absentee ballots: Yes: 9,735 / No: 3,694