Delnicki Top Vote Getter in South Windsor Republican Primary

The South Windsor Republican Town Committee may have presented a vision for the town but at the primary Tuesday, South Windsor Republicans rejected it, instead throwing their support behind Mayor Tom Delnicki.

Delnicki, who had been pushed off the party’s ticket at the Republican caucus in July, remained the party’s top vote getter, easily passing the six endorsed candidates with 711 votes. Carey Prague was second with 630 votes, followed by Carolyn Streeter-Mirek (606), Kevin McCann (604), Cindy Beaulieu (591), Jan Snyder (589) and Deputy Mayor Gary Bazzano (533), according to unofficial vote totals.

Delnicki was thrilled with the result.

“The more difficult something is to achieve and accomplish, that makes it all the more worth it. That’s what tonight’s all about,” Delnicki said, quoting his mother.

Bazzano, who received the least votes and no longer has a place on the November election ballot, said that it was clear Delnicki targeted him.

“It’s evident Tom targeted me through the caucus and the whole primary and the votes came out the way that they did… I don’t have to make a decision to run with him now, which I’m not sure I could if I won,” Bazzano said. “It’s really up to the other councilors to figure out what’s ahead and if they have the ability to work with Tom because he’s not a workable person. The fact that he had signs all over town ‘vote for me’ showed it was all about him, not the taxpayers.”

Delnicki credited his record with his win.

“My message of fiscal responsibility rang true,” Delnicki said. “I’ve always been a voice for the people and I will continue to be a voice for the people. It also shows that even in the face of some pretty nasty campaigning, staying on the high road, you can win.”

At the Red Onion, where dozens of supporters came to cheer Delnicki, a mixed crowd of Democrats and Republicans said they were backing the mayor because he did what he believed was right for the town, regardless of party position.

Both camps said they were ready to look ahead. 

“The primary is over and on Sept. 11 we will wake up and we will come together and come up with a plan to run an election in November and that’s what we plan to do,” Republican Town Committee Chairman Kathy Daugherty said. “We can beat each other up but at the end of the day we come together and we will run our campaign and we will be ready for November.”

Prague, who won the second-highest vote total, came to congratulate Delnicki. 

“Now we have to sit down, figure out what the message should be and where we go from here,” Delnicki said.