Klarides-Ditria earns first term in House

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Nicole Klarides-Ditria
Nicole Klarides-Ditria

SEYMOUR — Republican Nicole Klarides-Ditria will join her sister Themis Ditria, the Republican Minority leader, in the state House of Representatives in Hartford.

Klarides-Ditria, a Republican who ran on a promise to restore fiscal control to the state House, defeated her Democratic incumbent Theresa Conroy in a contested race for the 105th District, which includes Seymour, Beacon Falls and Derby.

According to unofficial results, Klarides-Ditria garnered 6,877 votes, or 57 percent, to Conroy’s 5,115 or 43 percent.

Holding her sister’s hand up in triumph as she arrived at her campaign’s gathering spot at American Pie and Pub in Seymour Tuesday night, Klarides-Ditria, took the microphone and thanked supporters.

“Well, we did it. We won the prize,” said Klarides-Ditria, who is currently the deputy first selectman in Seymour. “Now the real work begins. This was all easy. But now we have to bring our state back. We have to get rid of Dannel P. Malloy, get into the House and Senate and fix Connecticut — get it back to where we know it can be.”

Conroy, whose supporters met across town at Hot Tamales Grill & Bar, conceded defeat while saying she wishes her opponent “the best of luck.”

“It’s a hard loss. I’m probably the best representative the 105th District has ever had,” said Conroy, who had sought her fourth term as state representative and who had touted her legislative track record.

“I brought back over $45 million of people’s tax dollars in special projects. I’ve been a lead in the state in so many different issues,” said Conroy, citing in particular, the state’s ongoing battle against opioid abuse. “I hope that someone in the state will pick up the mantle. It’s not an easy task.

“I think she’s going to have a high standard,” Conroy said of her opponent, “because the people in this district really know who I was and I know who they were. And I hope that she gets to appreciate such that hard role that I was walking into for the last six years.

“Things happen, people make choices, and I also have a life that I’m looking forward to getting back to,” Conroy said.

“It’s something, I don’t know the minds of people. I would have hoped they would have seen how much heart and soul I put into the job,” Conroy said. “Some of them didn’t and that was enough to make me lose.”