Drew Upsets Giuliano In Middletown Mayoral Race

The second time was the charm, as Democrat Daniel Drew unseated three-term Republican Mayor Sebastian Giuliano on Tuesday.

Drew lost to Giuliano by 486 votes in 2009, his first run for public office.

“I am honored to have your support tonight. I will not let you down,” Drew told an exuberant crowd at the Emporium, a Main Street Market restaurant.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy showed up at the restaurant to congratulation Drew Tuesday, saying Drew’s election will bring positive changes to Middletown.

“We are changing direction,” Malloy said. “We are going to choose the future over the past. The next mayor of this great city is Dan Drew and he deserves this win, but more importantly the people of this city deserve to have him as their mayor.”

Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman joined Malloy in congratulating the new mayor.

Drew, 31, a former reporter and currently a grant writer at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, had campaigned on promises of an end to the corrosive lawsuits between the city and the school board, a more affordable community for the middle class and aid for senior citizens. A 2002 University of Connecticut graduate, Drew is married and a father of three.

Drew also beat Christine Bourne, a Democrat who successfully petitioned to be an independent mayoral candidate.

“I want to congratulate Christine Bourne and Sebastian Giuliano for running spirited campaigns,” Drew said Tuesday night. “I especially want to thank Seb for his years of service to the city.”

Giuliano said his six years in office were marked by the completion of a new high school, growth in the city’s grand list and business growth as well.

“We’ve made Middletown something other towns look at with admiration,” Giuliano said.

He said Drew must choose a direction for the city.

“The new mayor is now a party to all the litigation he criticized,” Giuliano said. “He’s got to make a decision whether he’s going to defend the interest of the city vigorously or essentially surrender. This is not a turf war. It’s about real people.”

The Democrats kept a majority on the common council, with all eight of the party’s candidates winning election.

Democrats elected to the council Tuesday night were Thomas Serra, Ronald Klattenberg, Gerald Daley, Hope Kasper, Grady Faulkner, Robert Santangelo, Todd Berch and Mary Bartolotta.

Republicans elected to the council were Philip Pessina, Joseph Bibisi, Deborah Kleckowski and Linda Salafia.

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