House Republican Leader Themis Klarides on Monday issued the following statement following the outcome of an investigation from the Committee on Contested Elections on the 120th District House race, where 76 voters were given incorrect ballots in the contest between incumbent Representative Phil Young and challenger Jim Feehan:
"In talking about elections the words ‘integrity’ and ‘reliability’ came up over and over during the committee’s work, so it’s disappointing that committee Democrats who agreed to the fact that 76 people received incorrect ballots have decided that no further action should be taken. Democrats, including Representative Young, should now get what they argued for all along, and what the Supreme Court said should happen—to have House members decide the issue. Given today’s committee outcome, I’m looking forward to Speaker Aresimowicz scheduling a House vote on the committee’s competing viewpoints. We believe those 75 ballots would have mattered in a race decided by 13 votes—that a new election in the 120th district is the fairest solution. If we're talking about 'integrity' and 'reliability,' and if partisanship isn't part of the equation, I think many of our House colleagues will agree."
