Republican state representative Brian Lanoue won a third straight term in the 45th district on Tuesday, defeating Kayla Thompson, 6,157-3,639.

The 40-year-old Griswold resident faced no serious challenge in his re-election bid. Thompson, a Preston resident, was listed on the ballot as a Democratic candidate, but local party officials said she was only a place-holder, and did no active campaigning.

The 45th district includes Preston, Griswold, Voluntown, and portions of Ledyard and Lisbon.

Lanoue said the lack of a serious challenger didn't deter him from knocking on doors during the campaign season, especially in the towns of Preston and Ledyard, which were added to the re-drawn district based on the 2020 census.

Speaking to supporters at the Hilton Garden Inn in Preston, Lanoue said, "The third time is definitely the charm. "

He noted that there's a saying in Hartford that "your value as a legislator is based on the caliber of people you represent. I must say that I feel pretty damned valuable."

Lanoue is employed as a night dispatcher at American Industries in Griswold.

He said his priorities in the upcoming legislative session include an examination of expanded state spending in the latest budget. Lanoue said a lot of that money came from federal COVID relief funding, which will eventually end. He said he's worried that future funding could come from higher taxes.

Lanoue said he's also pushing for a waiver on state income taxes taken from stipends given to volunteer firefighters and emergency medical service personnel. The incumbent said the stipends were meant to encourage more people to become volunteers in those fields, which are facing a lack of applicants. He said the income taxes, both federal and state, take away a lot of that stipend income.