Well, that didn't last long...

Matt Maxwell of Newtown is ending his bid for the Republican nomination in the 5th Congressional District.

"I will remain active in Connecticut politics working to grow the party in the cities," Maxwell wrote in an email to supporters Thursday. "I am sure, I will be knocking at your door again in support of our party's local, state and federal candidates."

Maxwell, who purchaes and rehabilitates homes, was among a handful of candidates looking to challenge U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty in November. He said he'd be supporting Clay Cope, the first selectman in Sherman.

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Maxwell had raised $4,462 in the first quarter of 2016, and lent his campaign $10,000. Other candidates seeking the party's nomination are Bill Stevens of Newtown and John Pistone of Brookfield.

Republicans will pick candidates for the five House districts and a challenger to U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal at their convention on Monday.

Today, the Secretary of State office announced that Bethel's Bethel Municipal Center Districts 1 & 4 and Danbury's Sixth Ward polling locations have been randomly selected to have their Presidential primary voting results audited.

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill randomly selected voting precincts to have election results audited following the April 26 presidential preference primary. Ten percent of the polling places that use optical scan machines are subject to the audit, as prescribed by Connecticut General Statutes 9-320f. Those hand counted ballots will be matched against vote totals from optical scan machines.

Secretary Merrill said, “There is no acceptable margin for error in an election or primary. The public can be guaranteed that officials are taking every possible step to ensure the integrity of the vote and promote confidence in the process. We have trust in the machines and the results. However, we also require that these results be verified.”

There were 723 polling places that used optical scan machines on April 26 so the Secretary of the State chose 73 primary and 10 alternate locations.

The results of audits will be analyzed by the University of Connecticut, the Secretary of the State’s office and the State Elections Enforcement Commission, and then be made available to the public. The audit can start no earlier than May 11th and will be complete by June 3.

Connecticut boasts one of the strictest audit statutes in the country and was the first state in New England to require a comprehensive audit of primary results.

Ansonia: Ansonia Armory Ward 2

Avon: Roaring Brook School

Berlin: Hubbard School

Bethel: Bethel Municipal Center Districts 1 & 4

Branford: Indian Neck School - District 5

Bridgeport: Dunbar School 124-3

Bridgeport: J.F.K. Campus 124-2

Bridgeport: Luis Munoz Marin 128-2

Bridgeport: Park City Magnet 126-3

Bridgeport: Read Middle School 127-2

Cheshire: Cheshire High School - Dist. 1

Cheshire: Highland School - Voting Dist. 6

Danbury: Park Avenue School Gym - Ward 6

Darien: District 6 / 35 Leroy Ave.

Derby: Irving Elementary School Ward 2 Dist. 104/105

Durham: Korn School 3

East Granby: East Granby Community Center-1

East Haddam: Nathan Hale Ray High School

East Hampton: East Hampton Middle School

East Hartford: Hockanum School

East Haven: Overbrook School 4

East Haven: Woodview 5-S

Essex: Essex Town Hall 01

Farmington: Irving Robbins Middle School - District 1, Precinct 1

Farmington: Irving Robbins Middle School - District 1, Precinct 4

Greenwich: Central Middle School Dist. 8

Greenwich: Julian Curtiss School Dist. 1

Guilford: Melissa Jones School

Haddam: Haddam Neck Firehouse

Hartford: Batchelder School - 757 New Britain Ave - Voting District #15

Hartford: Bulkeley High School - 300 Wethersfield Ave - Voting District #19

Hartford: United Methodist Church - 571 Farmington Ave - Voting District #5

Manchester: Verplanck School

Meriden: Community Towers Area 1 PCT. 2

Meriden: Washington Middle School Area 2 PCT. 6

Middlebury: Shepardson Community Center 01

Middlebury: Shepardson Community Center 02

Middletown: Macdonough School-District 1

Middletown: Snow School-Gym District 8

Middletown: Wesley School-District 9

Montville: Mohegan Elementary School-5

New Britain: Graham Apartments District 5-2

New London: New London High School District 1

Newington: Martin Kellogg Middle School---District---7

Norwich: John M. Moriarty School

Norwich: Samuel Huntington School

Orange: High Plains Community Center District 3

Pomfret: The Pomfret Community School

Prospect: Prospect Firehouse

Scotland: Firehouse/Community Center

Shelton: Elizabeth Shelton School

Simsbury: Tootin Hill School

South Windsor: Phillip R. Smith School - Gym

South Windsor: Pleasant Valley School-Gym

Southbury: Center Fire House

Stamford: Our Lady Star of the Sea

Stamford: Salvation Army

Stonington: Stonington Fire House

Stratford: Lordship School 1st

Thomaston: Crescent Art Gallery

Tolland: Recreation Center Gym - 1

Torrington: City Hall-1

Torrington: Coe Park-1

Vernon: North East School

Waterbury: Washington Park Community House 75-2, SR

Waterbury: Wendell Cross School (3rd), 74-4

Waterbury: Willow Plaza Center 75-1, SR

West Hartford: Hall High School District 9

West Haven: John Prete Senior Housing Voting District 5

Westport: Greens Farms Elementary School Auditorium District 4

Windsor: Oliver Ellsworth School

Windsor: Poquonock School

Windsor Locks: Windsor Locks High School