MERIDEN— The 83rd House District race was considered too close to call Tuesday night with Republican Lou Arata holding a slight lead over Democrat Jonathan “Jack” Fazzino.

Unofficial results had Arata leading by just 100 votes, according to incomplete tallies at Republican headquarters at the North Italian Home Club. 

“I prefer to have it confirmed,” Arata said, when asked if he planned to declare victory just prior to press time.

Poll counters were waiting on results in several Meriden districts and one Cheshire district, as well as absentee ballots to be tallied before declaring victory or conceding defeat.  A recount will be held if the final margin is less than one half of 1 percent of the total ballots cast.  

Fazzino, who was encamped at Democratic headquarters in downtown Meriden, also said he preferred to hold off before commenting on the results.  

The open 83rd House seat, formerly held by Democratic state Rep. Cathy Abercrombie, was redrawn to include less of Meriden and more of Berlin and added a section of Cheshire.

Arata, of Meriden, ran against Abercrombie twice, losing by less than 300 votes each time. Fazzino is a current member of the Berlin Town Council.  

Arata, 65, ran on a fiscal conservative platform that included an audit of state departments’ spending to lower taxes. But he also touched on cultural issues including parental rights regarding school curriculums and criticism of what he called  student “indoctrination.” He supports smaller, more efficient government, lower taxes, support and funding police, and supporting communities to maintain local control of their zoning and boards of education.

Fazzino, 27, is a lawyer who focused on support for senior citizens, property tax credits, retirement income deductions, bipartisanship and caps on prescription drugs  

Incumbents state Rep. Hilda Santiago, D-84, and Rep. Michael Quinn, D-82, ran uncontested in their races.

mgodin@record-journal.com203-317-2255Twitter: @Cconnbiz