In Tuesday’s (Aug. 13) Republican Primary in Connecticut, voters rebuffed the two party-endorsed candidates that appeared on ballots in Wilton. In only one of the races, however, did Wilton Republican voters agree with the ultimate outcome.
In the one statewide contest, for U.S. Senate, Matthew M. Corey defeated Gerry Smith, the candidate endorsed by the state’s Republican Party. Corey, a bar owner from Manchester, CT, received 19,128 votes (54.4%) while Beacon Falls, CT First Selectman Gerry Smith earned 16,061 votes (45.6%), according to the Associated Press.
Wilton Republicans who voted overwhelmingly preferred Smith, however, and gave him 140 votes (60.9%) while Corey won 90 votes (39.1%). Wilton’s vote tallies were provided by Republican Registrar of Voters Annalisa Stravato on Tuesday evening.
In the race for the 4th Congressional District, which includes most of Fairfield County and a portion of New Haven County, Michael Goldstein won with 4,172 votes (53.1%), besting party-endorsed Bob MacGuffie, who received 3,687 votes (46.9%). Goldstein will face incumbent U.S. Rep. Jim Himes (D) in November. This is Goldstein’s second attempt to unseat Himes: in 2022, he ran unsuccessfully against a more moderate Jaime Stevenson in the Republican primary. Stevenson went on to the general election, where she lost to Himes, who has held the seat since 2008.
Goldstein, a physician from Greenwich, also edged out in front of this year’s endorsed candidate with Republican voters in Wilton. He earned 125 votes (54.3%) here, while MacGuffie received 105 votes (45.7%).
Voter turnout was low both across the state and in Wilton, where 230 eligible Republican voters cast votes in this primary. Democratic Registrar of Voters Karen Birck said that 40 people cast ballots during early voting and two people voted by absentee ballot.
Vote tallies and figures were compiled from information published by The Associated Press, The New York Times and the Town of Wilton.