Norfolk Votes Blue in Red County

While Litchfield County alone of Connecticut’s eight counties went to the Republican candidate in the presidential election on November 6, Norfolk voted strongly for Barack Obama, and the preference for Democratic candidates extended all the way across the ballot.

In the much-ballyhooed U.S. Senate race, Norfolk’s voters joined Canaan, North Canaan, and Salisbury in choosing Chris Murphy, while most other towns in the area, including Colebrook, Goshen, Winchester, Torrington and Litchfield, gave solid majorities to his Republican opponent, Linda McMahon.

The race for Murphy’s vacated seat in Connecticut’s 5^th Congressional District was won by the eventual winner, Democrat Elizabeth Esty, in Norfolk, Salisbury and Kent, but by her popular Republican opponent, Andrew Roraback, in every other neighboring town. The race was particularly close in Sharon, where Roraback edged Esty by a single vote.

The races for the Connecticut legislature went to the incumbents, as forecast by this paper last month. Democrat Roberta Willis won in House District 64. Her opponent, Vivian Nasiatka, made a strong showing in Torrington and Goshen, winning both towns, but lost every other town in the area, including Norfolk. Republican Kevin Witkos carried Senate District 8 handily, winning 56% of the vote and ceding only one town in his district to Dan Seger, his opponent. That town was Norfolk.