It would not have been shocking if Republican state Sen. Paul Formica wrote off New London in making political calculations for his 20th District. After all, the city pretty much wrote him off in the November election.

The Democrat in the race, former city councilor Martha Marx, crushed Formica in New London, 71-29 percent on election night. It made for a race closer than the Formica campaign had expected. Formica’s ability to sweep the rest of the towns in the district — Waterford, Bozrah, East Lyme, Old Lyme, Montville, Old Saybrook and Salem — allowed him to survive when a blue wave swept many Republican incumbents from the state legislature.

Though Formica managed a 52-48 percent, 1,582-vote victory, no result in the district was as one-sided as his defeat in New London.

The city’s voters did not place much stock in the fact that, as co-chairman of Appropriations Committee, Formica had worked to maintain state education funding for the city, supported its magnet school program, and backed increased investment in its port.

Yet when a post-election deal struck by the Connecticut Port Authority — chaired by a Democrat, Deputy Secretary of State Scott Bates — for the management of State Pier in New London failed to direct any of the resulting revenue to the city, Formica stepped up. My sources tell me he played a lead role in bringing the various parties together.

And there was Formica, the lone Republican, standing alongside Bates, Gov. Ned Lamont and Mayor Michael Passero when an amended deal was announced last week that will send at least $125,000 to the city annually from the revenues raised by shipping activities, with potential revenue growth if that activity increases, as expected. The New London mayor had complained loudly about the lack of revenues for his city in the original contract.

Formica never got a turn at the microphone at the City Hall press conference, but I talked to him later.

“I reached out to try to put together a meeting to get everyone at the table once I heard there was some discontent. Everyone was willing. The governor’s office stepped up huge on that and he (Lamont) showed his leadership,” said Formica.

So no political hard feelings?

“It is my belief, and hopefully been my history, that you run on a line but when you get elected you are there to serve everybody and so you reach across the aisle and work together to serve the people of Connecticut,” Formica said. “That’s what I’ve tried to do and Chairman Bates has done the same thing. And certainly, from what we are seeing and hearing from the governor, that is his philosophy too. That’s the way we move forward.”

His centrist, let's pull together approach has not endeared Formica to all Republicans, some who see him as too willing to compromise and not aggressive enough in attacking the progressive agenda, a RINO even — Republican in name only. Certainly some won’t like his tossing bouquets toward the new Democratic governor.

The thing is, Formica’s approach worked on Election Day when many Republicans in the state and nationally were swept from office.

As for the arrangement that resulted from the discussions, it produced relatively modest money for the city. But, as Passero noted, still far better than the zero revenues in the original deal.

Also announced was planned legislation that would make Passero a member of the port authority board, providing the city a voice as development at the pier moves forward. With Lamont backing it, and Formica lining up Republican votes, approval appears to be a foregone conclusion.

Paul Choiniere is the editorial page editor.