$ 0 0 In nine special elections Tuesday night, Republicans picked up a net gain of two seats - one in the House and one in the state Senate. Both sides were happy as Republicans said they had made inroads on traditionally Democratic territory, and Democrats said they had largely held back a Republican onslaught that was part of a national trend that started last year. In a major upset victory, Republican Len Suzio defeated Democrat Thomas E. Bruenn for a state Senate seat in Meriden that was previously held by a Democrat for the past 36 years. The Democrats were unsuccessful in trying to hold the seat that had been held since 1995 by Sen. Thomas P. Gaffey, who was one of the most powerful senators on education issues. Gaffey resigned his seat in early January after being arrested in a double-billing case that had caused controversy at the state Capitol and in the district. The GOP also regained a seat that had been held by Democratic Rep. Deborah Heinrich of Madison, who is now working for Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. Heinrich had previously won the seat in traditionally Republican-leaning Madison, where former Rep. Peter Metz had led the district until losing in an upset to Heinrich. Now, the GOP has the shoreline seat back. Both House Republican leader Larry Cafero and House Speaker Christopher Donovan noted that Essex first selectman Phil Miller defeated Republican Janet Peckinpaugh. "Five out of six in the House. We feel pretty good about that,'' Donovan told Capitol Watch on Tuesday night. "Here we have the governor coming out with a tough budget, and the Democrats win. ... It tells us that people in those areas are supportive of what the Democrats are doing. We're happy about that.'' Senate Republican leader John McKinney was also happy as the Republicans gained the Meriden seat that had previously been held by the Democrats for nearly four decades. "We were able to pick off one of them,'' McKinney said of the win by Suzio in Meriden. "To win one in the Speaker's hometown is a good win for the party. ... The state is more fiscally moderate than its General Assembly is. It was just November where the Democrats won all the races.'' Cafero said that Republicans had made important strides since last year as the Democrats now lead the House by 99 to 52 and the Senate by 22 to 14. Previously, the Democrats had veto-proof majorities in both chambers. "Keep in mind, less than three months ago, we were an underdog in all of them,'' Cafero said of the nine races that the Republicans lost in November. "We had nothing to lose and everything to gain - and we gained. We are ecstatic at our growth. It's never been done before.'' Cafero was referring to the one-year pickup of seats since the elimination of the state's party-lever in 1986. In Stamford, state Rep. Carlo Leone won the Senate seat that had been previously held by Andrew McDonald, who is now serving as Malloy's legal counsel. Republicans had believed they had a strong chance to win the House seat that was held by former state Rep. Jamie Spallone because Peckinpaugh was running. Peckinpaugh, 59, has huge name recognition from her days as a journalist, as well as from running in a losing effort against U.S. Rep. Joseph Courtney in last November's Congressional election. She is running against Miller, 52, a well-known Democratic figure in his district who has touted his eight balanced budgets in his four terms as the top official in his hometown. The Courant's Erik Hesselberg reported that: The race had become increasingly heated in recent weeks, with each side launching charges and counter-charges. State Democratic Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo alleged that Peckinpaugh failed to disclose more than $70,000 in campaign expenses during her 2nd Congressional District bid last year, a claim Peckinpaugh called a "diversion." Meanwhile, Peckinpaugh supporters criticized Miller for saying he would finish out his term as first selectmen if he were elected, claiming he could not juggle both jobs. In a traditionally Republican town, Miller - in 2003 - became only the third Democrat in the town's history to be first selectman. He has since been re-elected by wide margins. Peckinpaugh now has two consecutive defeats since November - to Courtney and Miller - and Democrats say that should spell the end for her political career. Peckinpaugh conceded shortly after 9 p.m. in a brief speech to supporters at the Griswold Inn in Essex. Folks in attendance said she was choking back tears and was surprised by the results. Later, she said, "I'm disappointed. I was surprised by the turnout in Essex." The turnout, about 30 percent, tipped the race in Miller's favor, she said. Peckinpaugh, who also lives in Essex, won only one town of the four in the district: Haddam. In the same way that the Republicans declared victory, the Senate Democrats said it was a good night. Senate President Pro Tem Donald Williams said he is pleased to move forward with a 22 - 14 margin and believes that the legislature can pass the state budget before the regular legislative session ends at midnight on Wednesday, June 8. "Given the atmosphere across the country, I am so impressed that people saw through the distortion and the rhetoric and will give this governor a fair shake,'' Williams told Capitol Watch. "I think a lot of folks were predicting there would be this big tidal wave, wiping out the Democrats. The voters rejected that. The people of Connecticut want to give Dan Malloy a fair shake.'' Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney of New Haven said, "Clearly, it's very gratifying that we won two out of the three Senate races in a difficult economic climate ... in the wake of the governor's tough, but realistic, budget message. We're quite pleased to be going back with 22 Democratic senators.''