NEW BRITAIN — -
Republican Mayor Timothy Stewart narrowly won a fourth term Tuesday, but voters decided he'll still be up against a Democratic super majority on the common council.
Stewart beat Democratic state Rep. Timothy O'Brien in one of the most hard-fought races in the state, but Republicans took only four of the 15 council seats — and one of those might be challenged.
Stewart said the race was closer than he had expected. For an hour or more, only 90 votes separated the candidates out of more than 8,500 ballots cast.
At 9:30 p.m., news hit Republican headquarters that the last votes counted — about 400 absentee ballots — had split heavily in Stewart's favor. The crowd roared, and Stewart quickly took a microphone to announce his win.
"This has absolutely been a nail-biter," he exclaimed. "I'm bleeding on a couple fingers."
But Republican hopes of breaking the Democratic stronghold on the council were quashed.
Stewart acknowledged that he was perplexed, saying, "The voters want me to be the mayor. I'd expect them to put people in there to help us."
"Everybody who ran with us will sit in some prominent place in city government," Stewart promised a crowd of supporters at his campaign rally.
The 11 Democratic victories in the council races could well mean another two years of angry stalemates and partisan bickering in city government. Stewart and council Democrats have squabbled relentlessly for six years; Democrats accuse him of being secretive and overbearing, while Stewart describes them as politically driven obstructionists.
Council Democrats insisted they're not blocking progress in New Britain, but promised they'll continue challenging Stewart when they think that's necessary.
In a city where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by about 4-1, the loss of another mayoral race was troubling, acknowledged Democrat campaign manager Rick Lopes.
But he emphasized that the results were far tighter than in Stewart's previous three races.
"The voters showed they're not as sure about him as they were," Lopes said late Tuesday.
Lopes said Democrats may challenge the narrow re-election of Republican council member Louis Salvio.
The party believes there may have been an error involving a voting machine that cost votes for Democrat Laura Woodie, who finished closely behind Salvio.
O'Brien will keep his seat in the General Assembly. He's part of an all-Democratic delegation from New Britain that Stewart has criticized harshly all year. The mayor said he work with Democrats in the new term.
"There's no negativity coming out of our camp," he said.
Stewart beat Democratic state Rep. Timothy O'Brien in one of the most hard-fought races in the state, but Republicans took only four of the 15 council seats — and one of those might be challenged.
Stewart said the race was closer than he had expected. For an hour or more, only 90 votes separated the candidates out of more than 8,500 ballots cast.
At 9:30 p.m., news hit Republican headquarters that the last votes counted — about 400 absentee ballots — had split heavily in Stewart's favor. The crowd roared, and Stewart quickly took a microphone to announce his win.
"This has absolutely been a nail-biter," he exclaimed. "I'm bleeding on a couple fingers."
But Republican hopes of breaking the Democratic stronghold on the council were quashed.
Stewart acknowledged that he was perplexed, saying, "The voters want me to be the mayor. I'd expect them to put people in there to help us."
"Everybody who ran with us will sit in some prominent place in city government," Stewart promised a crowd of supporters at his campaign rally.
The 11 Democratic victories in the council races could well mean another two years of angry stalemates and partisan bickering in city government. Stewart and council Democrats have squabbled relentlessly for six years; Democrats accuse him of being secretive and overbearing, while Stewart describes them as politically driven obstructionists.
Council Democrats insisted they're not blocking progress in New Britain, but promised they'll continue challenging Stewart when they think that's necessary.
In a city where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by about 4-1, the loss of another mayoral race was troubling, acknowledged Democrat campaign manager Rick Lopes.
But he emphasized that the results were far tighter than in Stewart's previous three races.
"The voters showed they're not as sure about him as they were," Lopes said late Tuesday.
Lopes said Democrats may challenge the narrow re-election of Republican council member Louis Salvio.
The party believes there may have been an error involving a voting machine that cost votes for Democrat Laura Woodie, who finished closely behind Salvio.
O'Brien will keep his seat in the General Assembly. He's part of an all-Democratic delegation from New Britain that Stewart has criticized harshly all year. The mayor said he work with Democrats in the new term.
"There's no negativity coming out of our camp," he said.
