HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut state leaders vowed to continue to "fight for Connecticut values" and Connecticut's residents after the state and presidential elections were called late Tuesday into Wednesday morning.
Gov. Ned Lamont spoke at the State Capitol in Hartford late Wednesday morning, along with Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, Attorney General William Tong, Comptroller Sean Scanlon, and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal.
The state leaders, though expressing disappointment, congratulated former President Donald Trump after he was elected to a second term as president of the United States. They were also pleased that Connecticut's members of Congress kept their seats.
While this is considered a "disappointment" to the Democrat leaders, they do not count it as a failure.
“The American people have spoken, we’re still unpacking what they said," Tong said.
"It is important that the Democratic party learn the right lessons from this," Scanlon added. "We need to look in the mirror and we need to think about what it is that we want to do going forward as a party to continue to lead and to continue to win elections."
Lamont elaborated that Democrats have "got to be fighting for the middle class and fighting for them every day, and I think they lost sight of that."
At Capitol Lunch in New Britain, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy was celebrating his election win for another term but reflected on the possibility of working against Trump's policies once again.
"So just as I did in his first term, it's likely that I'll end up helping to lead the fight against the policies that he supports, that will hurt Connecticut," Murphy said. "The people in the state don't want another round of tax cuts for millionaires, the people of this state don't want to see our nation's gun laws loosened."
State leaders said working for Connecticut will mean working across the aisle "when we can" and staying in touch with Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance.
"Gov. Lamont and I have worked with President Trump in the past and we will be reaching out to them and to JD Vance because we want to work together on behalf of the people of Connecticut," Bysiewicz said.
Tong, and state leaders echoed, that the state would fight any attempt at a national abortion ban "tooth and nail" to protect a woman's reproductive rights in Connecticut.
"I think all of us are extraordinarily concerned," Tong said.
"A national ban on abortion will preempt state law in Connecticut, " Blumenthal added. "That's just the reality of the federal system, so we need to be prepared for a fight."
Lamont was emotional when he told of meeting with kids on Halloween, who were raising concerns to him about deportation and LGBTQ issues, as Trump has been proposing a large-scale deportation program and rolling back on legal protections for LGBTQ citizens.
"They were paying attention to this election," Lamont said. "Here in CT, we love you. We are all God's children, your friends want to see you in school tomorrow and that's what it means to be in Connecticut."
Officials celebrated the 740,000 early voting ballots that came in and the 100,000 absentee ballots that were submitted in Connecticut before Election Day. Bysiewicz said the next legislative session will present an opportunity to hash out what went right and what could be improved for early voting in Connecticut.
One question on the ballot asked voters whether to expand absentee voting, which passed "with flying colors."
Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam said in a video post on Facebook that despite some Americans feeling despair over the election results, "it is not the end" and that "[our power] is on every act we make, big and small, and in between."
"It's about the choices we have. To choose unity, and strength, and power, and togetherness, instead of division. It's about choosing love over despair and vitriol and toxicity. It's about choosing to build the society that we believe in. And that's what we're going to do here in Hartford," Arulampalam said in part in the post.
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker called the results "disappointing" in a statement Wednesday, and said that his city residents "made a different choice" at the polls.
"Just like when Donald Trump was president before, we will once again come together as a city to stand up for what is right and just," Elicker said. "We will be a place of inclusion and belonging for all. We will protect the rights and freedoms of our residents. We will make decisions based on data and science. We will extend compassion to those in need and support the most vulnerable among us. We will advance our shared values of creating a more equitable and just society for all."
State Senate Republican Leader Stephen Harding released a statement to say thank you to all involved in the election and a congratulations to the president-elect and vice president-elect.
“We all love Connecticut and we all love the United States of America. To all who voted: Thank you. To all who put their name on a ballot in an effort to improve the quality of life in our state and country: Thank you. Thank you as well to our poll workers and to law enforcement for preserving order and safety at our voting locations," Harding said.
He continued, "Congratulations to President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Vance on their victory. Here in Connecticut and across our country, we must now come together - and work together - to make a brighter future. We can achieve that goal through civil discourse. We can achieve that goal by truly listening to each other and finding common ground. We can achieve that goal through our shared love of the freedoms and liberties we all cherish. The campaigning is over. Let’s get to work.”
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