Unofficial Results Give O'Dea the 125th District [UPDATE]

Update 2:30 a.m.

Absentee ballot and yet-to-be-confirmed votes from two New Canaan districts would give Republican Tom O'Dea at 63 percent of the 125th House District. Democrat Mark Robbins would follow with 34 percent, and Green Party candidate David Bedell would take 2 percent.

O'Dea could not be reached for comment.

Robbins deferred an official comment pending final race results.

Bedell told Patch that he enjoyed the race and participating in debates with his opponents.

"I thought some good issues were discussed," said Bedell, who, like Robbins, declined to concede the race pending official results.

Update 12 a.m., Nov. 7

With one of three districts reporting, Republican Tom O'Dea leads in this race with 1,902 votes, versus Democrat Mark Robbins at 1,432 and Green Party candidate David Bedell at 58.

It isn't clear which districts haven't reported or why.

Update 1 p.m.

The three New Canaan men seeking to take the General Assembly seat being vacated by longtime legislator and fellow town resident John Hetherington say they’re feeling strong as voters turn out on this Election Day and are excited for tallies to come in.

“I’m feeling great,” said Tom O’Dea, a Republican seeking the 125th House District seat, which represents parts of New Canaan and Wilton. “I think things are going well.”

O’Dea supporters manned a table outside the New Canaan High School gym as the candidate shuttled back to town from Wilton. Election officials say voter turnout in town has been “heavy” despite lingering problems resulting from Hurricane Sandy.

David Bedell, Green Party candidate for the 125th, said he felt “very good.”

“I already know a few people who have voted for me,” Bedell said in a phone interview. “I voted early this morning.”

Democrat Mark Robbins in a video interview outside the high school (see attached) said he has solutions to many of the state’s pressing problems—including distributing power using fuel cells or turbines, “both of which are made in Connecticut.”

“So I think that’s an opportunity for job creation and for reducing taxes as well,” he said.

Stay on New Canaan Patch for tallies on this and other races as they come in, in the Election 2012 hub.  And join a conversation about how the day is unfolding in Connecticut in our live blog, with a complete list of New Canaan election results from the state level at the bottom.

Original Story

In an interesting race that is said to mark the first time in 26 years that the Democrats have put up a candidate, three men—including GOP and Green Party candidates—are seeking the 125th District seat, representing parts of New Canaan and Wilton.

The candidates for a seat to be vacated by incumbent New Canaanite John Hetherington (R) are:

• Mark Robbins: A Democrat, Robbins is a New Canaan resident with a background in real estate development who says on his campaign website that he is qualified to help overcome economic challenges as he's a developer who has built an innovating, sustainable community. 
• Tom O'Dea: The Republican from New Canaan says on his campaign website that he's been a member of the Town Council there since 2005 and lists his occupation as a partner since 1990 in one of the region’s largest law firms, Halloran & Sage LLP. Cutting taxes and lowering spending are two of O'Dea's priorities, according to his website.
• David Bedell: This Green Party candidate and New Canaan resident earned 55 votes in the 2010 election when he ran for the 36th Senate District seat. According to his campaign website, Bedell—who listed UConn instructor under employment experience in a Patch survey—would making addressing the state's stagnant economy a top priority.

See this article covering a recent League of Women Voters debate for more information on each candidate.