Norwalk state Rep. Stephanie Thomas has won the Democratic race for Secretary of the State.
She beat out New Haven Health Director Maritza Bond.
Thomas was the party's endorsed candidate.
Both candidates pledged to oppose Republican attempts to tighten voting rules.
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Thomas, who is Black, has said such restrictions hit close to home, considering her father grew up during the 1940s in Georgia and never really learned to read and her mother worked two jobs for most of her life and didn't drive. It took an hour-long bus ride and a long walk along a highway to reach the nearest department of motor vehicles branch to register to vote.
“So when Republicans make it harder to vote, it’s folks like my mom they’re targeting,” she says in a recent commercial.
Thomas will take on Republican Dominic Rapini in November. The sales executive for Apple who was the party's endorsed candidate, defeated Rep. Terrie Wood, a Darien Republican.
