Republican Joe Hoxha has won a third term in the Connecticut House of Representatives, defeating Democratic challenger Nate Brown by a margin of just 164 votes, according to unofficial US election results.
Hoxha, who was born in Tirana, secured 4,585 votes, or 50.91%, while Brown received 4,421 votes, or 49.09%. Hoxha won Plymouth by a margin of 400 votes but lost in Bristol by 236 votes.
His victory came on a successful election night for Democrats, who, according to CBS News projections, are expected to win majorities in both the US House of Representatives and the Senate. In the neighbouring 77th district, Republican Cara Pavalock-D’Amato, who had served six terms, lost her seat.
Meanwhile, several other candidates of Albanian descent failed to win their respective races.
In New York, Republican Diamant Hysenaj lost to Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the 14th Congressional District.
Hysenaj, who left Kosovo in 1991 and settled in the Bronx, received 21.54% of the vote, compared with Ocasio-Cortez’s 78.22%, with 97% of the results counted.
Democrat Shpetim “Tim” Qorraj, who moved to the United States from Kosovo in 2011, also lost his race for New York’s 64th Assembly District. He received 39.33% of the vote, while Republican Michael Tannousis won with 60.53%.
In Connecticut, Republican Peter Lumaj lost the race for Secretary of State to Democrat Stephanie Thomas, the incumbent.
With approximately 90% of polling places reporting, Lumaj had secured 37.53% of the vote, while Thomas received 62.47%.
Lumaj had previously run for the same position in 2014. Republican Alma Sarelli also suffered a defeat in her bid for an open seat in Connecticut’s 26th Senate District.
She lost to Democrat Samantha Nestor, receiving 34.6% of the vote compared with Nestor’s 65.4%. Sarelli conceded defeat on election night and wished her opponent success in representing the district.
Meanwhile, in Michigan, Democrat Edlira Sako was trailing Republican Doug Wozniak in the race for the state Senate’s 24th District.
In the partial count, with 53 of 66 polling places reporting, Sako had received 37% of the vote, while her opponent had secured 63%.
The published results are unofficial and will only be considered final following official certification.
