Southeastern Connecticut officials, divided on party lines in their reaction to the news that, after four days of counting votes, former Vice President Joe Biden will be the country's next president, were unified in their belief that people with opposing views can find common ground and work together for the betterment of all Americans.
Connecticut's congressional delegation, all Democrats, who will work closely with the new administration, applauded the news, saying Biden's win indicates Americans' faith in him to tackle the country's challenges, including the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, who represents southeastern Connecticut in Washington, congratulated Biden on running "a campaign that overwhelmingly reflected the values of the hard-working people here in eastern Connecticut — one that was focused on the issues, and on bringing the American people together from both sides of the aisle to tackle the biggest challenges facing us today."
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., congratulated Biden and running mate Kamala Harris in a statement Saturday, calling them his good friends, and said the win means "our long, national nightmare is over."
"The path ahead is both challenging and inspiring: we must conquer the pandemic, put America back to work, and fight to restore the rule of law and deeply shared values that make our nation great. We have far more in common than in conflict, but the wounds inflicted on our country over the last four years will take hard work to heal," he said.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said the result of the election "is good news for democracy, our country, and Connecticut" and commented on the likely upcoming legal battle surrounding the election.
"No doubt, Donald Trump will not go away quietly, and now President-elect Biden begins the unenviable balancing act of beginning a transition while simultaneously having to bat down frivolous legal and political challenges from President Trump. But the people have spoken, and now the peaceful handover of power must begin."
Republican state Sen. Paul Formica of East Lyme, who was reelected this past week to a fourth term and named deputy minority leader of the state Senate, said he hopes the president-elect will concentrate on unifying the country.
Martha Marx, chair of the New London Democratic Town Committee who ran against Formica, said that while the election showed "a persistently strong divide in our country, this divide is deeper than President Donald Trump."
"I am reassured that President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris can begin to heal the divide," she said. "It is going to take a lot of work from all to listen and teach to find common ground. The working class, disenfranchised and marginalized communities have a voice and I sincerely believe that this incoming administration hears them."
A small group of people gathered at Parade Plaza in New London on Saturday afternoon, where cars occasionally honked as they passed and in other places to celebrate the news.
Asked what she thinks Biden's victory means for Connecticut, Democratic state Sen. Cathy Osten of Sprague said, "I think we'll have a partner in the problems that we have to deal with."
Osten is hopeful that a large infrastructure package that will help out the region will finally get through, pointing to sewer treatment plant issues in Norwich and Sprague, pump stations that need to be fixed in Hebron, and more. She also said she's working on a plan for a medical manufacturing pipeline, and maybe that's something that could be done nationally.
While it was not the result she was hoping for, Kat Goulart, chairwoman of the New London Republican Town Committee, said "this was the will of the people so I'd like to see us all move forward together and I would like to continue to see our country on a path of growth and to get through this (COVID-19) pandemic together."
Both Republicans and Democrats interviewed said they hoped there would be a peaceful transfer of power from Trump to Biden and said they were encouraged by this year's record voter turnout.
"It's been massive in many states, which I think is great and shows that democracy is alive and well," said Republican state Sen. Heather Somers of Groton.
In Connecticut, seen as a solidly blue state, Biden received 59% of the vote, unofficial results show. Nationwide, he received more votes than any presidential candidate in American history.
Biden's winning of both the popular and electoral college votes shows there are "more like-minded individuals who want fairness and honesty and not this chaos," said Alma Nartatez, president pro tempore of the New London City Council.
Nartatez said she hopes Biden and Harris will quickly address the need for universal health care and immigration reform. Harris, the former attorney general of California, is well suited to address criminal justice reform, she said.
While the difference in the popular vote between Biden and Trump means the country is still relatively divided, Democratic state Rep. Joe de la Cruz of Groton said he hopes and thinks Biden can bring a lot of people together. He said he talks to a lot of people "who are on the other side of it who feel like they lost."
"It's just been a long four years of division and hopefully we can get together," he said.
Noting that tens of millions of people voted for Trump, Democratic state Sen. Norm Needleman of Essex said it's "every one of our jobs to reach out and make sure they’re a part of the conversation, the solution, and we all share in the good things and the bad things that happen in the country."
He said the United States needs to "reclaim the mantle of global leadership" and that we need another stimulus package to address the economic implications of the coronavirus pandemic.
"We absolutely need to unify around a strategy for getting us away from 120,000 new cases a day nationally," Needleman said of the pandemic.
Day Staff Writers Claire Bessette, Kimberly Drelich and Erica Moser contributed to this report.
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After election, local Democrats and Republicans hope for unity - theday.com
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