Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox had declared victory in Connecticut’s 22nd Senatorial District race late Tuesday night. With votes still left to be counted in Bridgeport, whose politics traditionally favor the Democratic Party, her Republican opponent, Christopher Carrena conceded Wednesday afternoon.
Gadkar-Wilcox, of Trumbull, who made history as the first South Asian woman and the first Indian-American to be elected as a senator in Connecticut, will represent Trumbull and portions of Bridgeport and Monroe in Hartford.
“I’m very excited, because I love this district and I’m really looking forward to advocating for the community,” Gadkar-Wilcox said Wednesday. “Having been out knocking on doors, I already heard some of the issues that are on people’s minds and I look forward to working with the delegation on finding some solutions that work well for our district.”
Gadkar-Wilcox said she also looks forward to being part of the community and actively engaging her constituents with forums and coffee conversations. She is already active with Bridgeport Public Schools’ Urban Debate League, Trumbull High School’s “We the People”, which is a Constitutional debate program, and the Trumbull Rotary Club.
She is on the board of the YMCA, which also serves Monroe, and said she looks forward to working with other nonprofits and community organizations.
As a senator, Gadkar-Wilcox said she will advocate for the district and write policies to help its three municipalities become more vibrant, while strengthening the relationship between its urban and suburban communities.
The senator-elect said the success of her campaign was a grassroots effort and expressed her gratitude for the outpouring of support, from everyone who put up a lawn sign, made a phone call and knocked on a door to those who wrote a postcard.
“I’m honored people worked so hard to make sure our message resonated with voters,” Gadkar-Wilcox said. “This means so much to me.”
‘A bittersweet moment’
There was no mudslinging in this senate race, as Gadkar-Wilcox and Carrena stuck to the issues throughout.
“I really appreciated that it was a clean election,” Gadkar-Wilcox said. “It was a very cordial election and every time we interacted it was quite friendly, and that’s what we should strive for nationally — that kind of politics.”
“I want to thank Sujata for running a clean race,” Carrena said Wednesday. “I wish her the best for our community. At the end of the day, I care for the community and for our people. As much as I wanted to represent our district, I did this for the people of Connecticut.”
Carrena, who describes himself as a people person, said a legislator has to care about everyone, regardless of party affiliation, race or creed.
“I want to see our state prosper and I look forward to remaining involved and being a community servant wherever I can,” he said. “Just because this race is over doesn’t mean I’ll be MIA. I’ll be around.”
Though disappointed in the outcome of his own race, Carrena said he was pleased to see Republicans enjoy success at the top of the ticket.
“As an American, I’m proud to see Trump won,” he said of Donald Trump winning his second presidential term. “Our U.S. Senate is red. We have more balance on the federal level. I hope we eventually have more balance in the state of Connecticut. For me, it’s a bittersweet moment, but I went to bed happy that my presidential candidate hit a home run.”
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