Branford native and Democrat Roberta Gill-Brooks beat the odds on Election Night in Branford, winning her bid for Tax Collector in an election which kept Republicans in the majority overall.

The contest was a close match between Gill-Brooks and Republican contender Sandra Kraus. It was a race to the finish line until the close of polls at 8 p.m. put Gills-Brooks in the win column with a lead of about 200 votes. Gill-Brooks will replace long-serving Tax Collector Joanne Cleary, also a Democrat, who is retiring.