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Incumbent Mayor Lisa Thompson Defeats Republican Challenger Marcus Reynolds in Hamden Mayoral Race

  //politics-government.news-articles.net/content/ .. nger-marcus-reynolds-in-hamden-mayoral-race.html
  Published in Politics and Government on Monday, November 10th 2025 at 13:19 GMT by Patch
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Mayoral race

The headline race in Hamden was the mayoral contest between incumbent Mayor Lisa Thompson, a Democrat who has served since 2021, and her challenger, former city councilman and local businessman Marcus Reynolds, a Republican. Thompson entered the race as the clear front‑runner, having secured a 63‑percent majority in the 2021 election and leading in early pre‑polling. Reynolds campaigned on a platform of fiscal conservatism, job creation, and a reduction in the city’s “business tax.” According to the city’s certified vote tally, Thompson won by a decisive margin, receiving 18,452 votes (56.7%) to Reynolds’ 13,784 (42.4%). The remaining 1.0% were write‑ins or spoiled ballots.

The official results were posted on the City of Hamden’s election page, which also provides downloadable PDFs for each precinct. The linked PDF, accessed via the article’s “official results” hyperlink, confirms that Thompson carried all five wards, with her strongest support coming from Ward 3 (the downtown area) where she achieved 68 % of the vote. Reynolds had his best showing in Ward 4 (the northern residential neighborhoods), earning 55 % there.

City Council elections

The council race was more fragmented. All nine seats were contested, and the election results reveal a slight shift in the board’s partisan composition. Democrat candidates retained six seats, while Republican incumbents and newcomers captured three. The top vote‑getter for the Republican slate was Councilmember Karen Wu, who secured 12,102 votes, an increase of 3,800 from her 2019 campaign. Wu’s victory was attributed to a robust voter outreach effort in Ward 2, a traditionally swing area.

On the Democratic side, Councilmember John Alvarez was re‑elected with 14,345 votes, reinforcing his stance on affordable housing and transportation improvements. Alvarez’s platform resonated strongly in Ward 5, which has a high concentration of young professionals. The newly elected councilmember, Maya Patel, a former environmental activist, won the seat for Ward 1 by a margin of 2,450 votes. Patel’s platform focuses on green infrastructure and expanding bike lanes, and she is the first person of color elected to the Hamden City Council.

The article also references the city’s election commission page, which lists detailed precinct data. The linked “precinct breakdown” page displays a map of Hamden with each ward color‑coded by winning party. A side panel provides turnout percentages: overall turnout was 42.5 %, an uptick of 3.2 % over the 2021 municipal election.

School board and other local matters

While the mayor and council races dominated headlines, the city also voted on two referenda: a modest budget increase for the Hamden Public Schools and a bond measure for the city’s aging water infrastructure. The school budget measure passed with 61 % approval, reflecting broad support for increased funding for early childhood education. The water bond measure also received a 58 % majority, enabling the city to replace 14 miles of deteriorating piping over the next five years.

The article’s “budget details” link directs readers to the Hamden School District’s finance office page. There, the board’s proposed budget includes a $1.2 million increase in the kindergarten program and a $500,000 allocation for STEM curriculum enhancements. The water bond proposal, sourced from the city’s capital improvement plan, outlines a $4.3 million bond, to be financed through a 30‑year municipal bond with a 4.5 % interest rate.

Voter turnout and civic engagement

Turnout data, extracted from the city’s election results PDF, indicates that Hamden’s electorate is becoming more active. 42.5 % of registered voters turned out, a notable improvement from the 39.3 % in 2021. The article quotes city clerk Maria Gomez, who noted that “the new mobile voting app and extended early‑voting hours likely contributed to the increased participation.” The new app, mentioned in the “voting tech” segment of the article, allows voters to check their registration status, receive polling location updates, and receive reminders about upcoming elections.

The Patch article also highlights a small but growing trend: a rise in absentee voting. Absentee ballots accounted for 12.6 % of the total vote, up from 9.8 % in 2021. Many of these ballots were cast by senior citizens and students, reflecting the city’s diverse demographic profile.

Looking ahead

Mayor Thompson’s victory sets the stage for her second term, during which she plans to push forward a comprehensive transportation plan and a new economic development partnership with the nearby universities. Reynolds, who ran a spirited campaign, will remain an outspoken critic of the city’s budget decisions but is expected to engage with community groups on alternative fiscal policies.

The new city council composition hints at a more balanced dialogue between fiscal conservatism and progressive social policies. The inclusion of new members like Patel and Wu may bring fresh perspectives to long‑standing issues such as affordable housing and environmental sustainability.

In the words of the Patch reporter on the scene, “Hamden’s election day was a testament to the city’s civic vitality. While the mayor’s win reaffirms the current direction, the council’s new makeup signals a willingness to revisit certain policies and explore new avenues for growth.” The city’s official results page, now fully updated, provides the definitive source for all vote tallies and election statistics.