By John Schwing

State Rep. Stephanie Thomas, whose legislative district includes part of Westport, won the Democratic nomination to run for secretary of the state in November by a wide margin, amid a host of Tuesday primary contests for statewide and congressional offices.

Thomas, a Norwalk Democrat serving her first term in the 143rd state House of Representatives district, decisively won her primary, according to state and Westport vote returns in a contest with Maritza Bond, the health director for the city of New Haven. 

Thomas, who won the state party’s endorsement for the office in May, launched her candidacy for the post last November.

Unofficial vote totals in the Democratic secretary of the state contest are: 

Thomas: 82,059 (75.82 percent) statewide; 1,265 (93.70 percent) Westport.

Bond: 26,169 (24.18 percent) statewide; 85 (8.30 percent) Westport.

If Thomas wins the November general election, she will be the first Black woman to serve as secretary of the state, Connecticut’s chief elections officer.

Trump-endorsed Levy wins GOP Senate primary

In the most surprising result in Tuesday’s primaries, Leora Levy, a Greenwich resident and member of the Republican National Committee, won the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate, upending the party-endorsed candidate Themis Klarides, former leader of the Republican minority in the state House of Representatives.

Levy was endorsed by former President Donald Trump late in the primary contest. She now goes on to challenge U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the Democrat seeking election to a third term, in the November general election. 

Finishing a distant third was Peter Lumaj, who was the GOP’s unsuccessful candidate for secretary of the state in 2014.

Unofficial vote totals in the Republican U.S. Senate race are:

Levy: 45,725 (50.54 percent) statwide; 207 (40.67 percent)   Westport.

Klarides: 36,275 (40.09 percent); 251 (49.31 percent) Westport.

Lumaj: 8,474 (9.37 percent); 51 (10.02 percent) Westport.

Stevenson claims Republican 4th District nod

In the contest for the Republican nomination in the 4th Congressional District, which includes Westport, Jayme Stevenson, a former Darien first selectwoman, was the easy winner over Greenwich physician Michael Ted Goldstein.

Stevenson will take on U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, the incumbent Democrat, in the November general election.

Unofficial vote totals are:

Stevenson: 9,961 (60.31 percent) districtwide; 329 (65.93 percent) Westport.

Goldstein: 6,554 (39.69 percent) districtwide; 170 (34.07 percent) Westport.

Russell takes Democrats’ state treasurer nomination

In the other Democratic primary contest, Erick Russell, a New Haven lawyer and former vice chairman of the state Democratic Party, claimed the nomination for state treasurer.

Russell rolled to a conclusive victory over Dita Bhargava, a Greenwich financial executive, and Karen Dubois-Walton, chairwoman of the state Board of Education and head of Elm City Communities, New Haven’s housing authority.

Unofficial vote totals are:

Russell: 61,961 (57.65 percent) statewide; 903 (67.84 percent) Westport.

Bhargava: 24,480 (22.77 percent) statewide; 313 (23,52 percent) Westport.

Dubois-Walton: 21,046 (19.58 percent) statewide; 115 (8.64 percent) Westport.

Rapini wins GOP secretary of the state contest

The race for the Republicans’ nomination for secretary of the state was won by Dominic Rapini, an outspoken critic of the state’s handling of the 2020 elections. 

Rapini, the party-endorsed candidate, beat state Rep. Terrie Wood, who represents the 141st District, including sections of Norwalk and Darien. A third contender, Brock Weber, had recently dropped out of the contest.

Unofficial vote totals are:

Rapini: 49,742 (58.18 percent) statewide; 266 (53.63 percent) Westport.

Wood: 35,759 (41.82 percent) statewide; 230 (45.37 percent) Westport.

John Schwing, the Westport Journal consulting editor, has held senior editorial and writing posts at southwestern Connecticut media outlets for four decades. Learn more about us here.