Vote Finalized In GOP Congressional Primary: Arrested Dropout v. Servicemember

It took one week to decipher if a man who dropped out of the race for Connecticut's 2nd Congressional District, had won the nomination anyway.

The race came down to a hand recount of the ballots, but a week later Justin Anderson has won the nomination over a man who dropped out of the primary election to represent Connecticut’s 2nd Congressional District.
Photo Credit: *Anderson Campaign*

Thomas Gilmer
Photo Credit: *Thomas Gilmer*

Kristin Palpini

08/19/2020 9:28 a.m.

The race came down to a hand count of the votes and Justin Anderson, 49, of East Haddam, came out ahead.

Anderson beat Thomas Gilmer for the Republican nomination by 81 votes. The final vote was 9,483 - 9,402.

The 2nd Congressional District includes communities from Windham, Tolland, New Haven, New London, Middlesex, and Hartford counties. In Hartford County, those communities are Enfield, parts of Glastonbury, Marlborough, and Suffield.

Gilmer, 29, of Madison, was arrested Monday, Aug. 10, and charged with first-degree unlawful restraint and second-degree strangulation, police said. He posted a $5,000 bond and is expected to be in court Tuesday, Aug. 11, police said.

One day before the Aug. 11 election, Gilmer announced that he had dropped out of the race for Congress.

The votes between the two candidates were so close that it took a week to verify the votes in a recount of the ballots - a normal procedure in tight races.

Anderson is a Lieutenant Colonel who earned the Bronze Star serving in Afghanistan.

“My views are conservative,” Anderson said, “but one cannot discredit all ideas simply because they are put forth by another party. Good ideas can come from anywhere.”

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