1982 Connecticut gubernatorial election
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The 1982 Connecticut gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 1982. Incumbent Democratic governor Bill O'Neill had assumed the governor's office in 1980 after Ella Grasso resigned due to poor health. Grasso died just weeks later on February 5, 1981. Governor O'Neill defeated former Connecticut state senator Lewis Rome for his first full term in the governor's office.
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November 2, 1982
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| Turnout | 67.5%[1] | |||||||||||||||||||
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O'Neill: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Rome: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Bill O'Neill, incumbent governor
Eliminated at convention
- Ernest N. Abate, Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Lewis Rome, former Senate majority leader from the 8th district, former mayor of Bloomfield, and candidate for this seat in 1978.
Eliminated at convention
- Gerald Labriola, state senator from the 15th district. (Later became lieutenant governor nominee).
Withdrew after convention
- Richard C. Bozzuto, former Senate minority leader from the 32nd district and candidate for U.S. Senate in 1980.
Withdrew before convention
- Russell L. Post Jr., state senator from the 8th district.[2]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Lewis Rome | 414 | 44.61% | |
| Republican | Richard C. Bozzuto | 392 | 42.25% | |
| Republican | Jerry Labriola | 122 | 13.14% | |
| Total votes | 928 | 100.00% | ||
After the first round of voting, Labriola withdrew, not reaching the 20% threshold needed to enter a primary. He freed his delegates 'to support the candidates of their choice.' He added, however, that his personal choice was Rome.[3]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Lewis Rome | 488 | 52.47% | |
| Republican | Richard C. Bozzuto | 442 | 47.53% | |
| Total votes | 930 | 100.00% | ||
Although he met the threshold standards to launch a primary, on August 4, eleven days after the convention, Bozzuto finally announced that he would not seek a primary against Rome.[4]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bill O'Neill (incumbent) | 578,264 | 53.35% | −5.80% | |
| Republican | Lewis Rome | 497,773 | 45.93% | +5.19% | |
| Libertarian | Walter Gengarelly | 7,839 | 0.72% | N/A | |
| Total votes | 1,083,876 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
