Election 2012: Granby Ballot Questions Pass, Simanski Wins, Witkos Declares Victory in the 8th

Granby Local Results:

Granby voters came out strong in support of both major parties but Republicans won the majority of the races on the national, state and local level Tuesday.

Granby residents decided to change the town charter on the budget approval process and non-budget change fronts. On Question 1 — relating to all non-budget changes — Granby residents tallied 2,662 "Yes" votes and 1,998 "No" votes. On Question 2 — the decision to change the town budget process to an automatic, all-day, machine-counted referendum was affirmed — with 2,924 residents voting for the change and 1,866 voting against.

The Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan Republican Presidential ticket bested the Barack Obama and Joe Biden (D) pairing, 3,222 votes to 3,079.

Former Granby First Selectman and incumbent Bill Simanski (R) beat out youthful challenger Evan Socrates Dantos in the race for the 62nd district's state Representative seat by a margin of more than 1,400 votes, 3,702 to 2,243. Simanski is projected to win the seat across the district's towns (Granby, Barkhamsted and New Hartford).

Granby native Kevin Witkos (R) beat out Dan Seger (D) locally (282 votes to 135) and across the district to earn the 8th district state Senate seat.

In a rare Democrat win Tuesday, John B. Larson topped John Henry Decker (R) with a final tally of 3,206 votes to 2,641.

Linda McMahon (R) beat out Chris Murphy (D) in Granby, earning 3,336 votes to Murphy's 2,846.

Granby Registrars of Voters Maureen Wolf (3,201 votes) and Lauren Wolfe (2,555 votes) won unopposed elections.

East Granby Local Results:

East Granby leaned towards Republicans Tuesday, with the Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan Republican Presidential ticket beating Democrats Barack Obama and Joe Biden locally, 1,444 votes to 1,380.

Tami Zawistowski (R) led Elaine O'Brien (D) in East Granby Tuesday night, with the Republican challenger for the 61st district's state Representative seat drawing 1,393 votes to O'Brien's 1,294. But O'Brien took the seat, based on unofficial results, winning Suffield and a section of Windsor.

O’Brien, Suffield’s town clerk who has served one term in the state legislature, won by an unofficial margin of 483 votes, 4 percent of total ballots cast (11,005) across Suffield, East Granby and part of Windsor.

The close race, which saw O’Brien win Suffield and the northwestern section of Windsor while losing Zawistowski’s hometown of East Granby. Zawistowski serves on the East Granby Board of Finance, is active in organizing East Granby’s farmers market and has owned and operated a local business, Resource Books, since 1996.

Debates between the two candidates held in East Granby and Suffield in the weeks before the debate, revealed differences and even a few similarities between O’Brien and Zawistowski.

Incumbent John Kissel (R) beat out Karen Jarmoc (D) locally by more than 200 votes, 1,477 to 1,221.

Linda McMahon (R) led Chris Murphy (D) in the race for the open US Senate seat, 1,482 to 1,242. Incumbent John B. Larson (D) beat John Henry Decker (R), 1,542 to 1,071.

East Granby Registrars of Voters, Carol Carrara (R) and Zettie F. Shookus (D), both ran unopposed and earned 1,312 and 1,262 votes, respectively.