Abby Roth ’90 LAW ’94 won a special election on Tuesday for Ward 7 alder, succeeding Doug Hausladen ’04 on the Board of Alders.

Roth, a Democrat, defeated her Republican opponent, Paul Phillipino, by a nine-to-one margin, garnering 174 votes to his 19, counting a write-in ballot. Low turnout was to be expected for a special election on a Monday.

Roth is special assistant to Yale School of Management Dean Edward Snyder and worked as an attorney for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and then the Department of Homeland Security before returning to New Haven. She has been actively involved in community work in the Elm City — though the race marked her first-ever run for political office.

“I’m both excited and feel a definite sense of responsibility,” Roth told the News Monday evening. She said she was particularly gratified by seeing people show up to vote with whom she had spoken during her door-knocking efforts over the past weeks. “I felt like it brought them here to vote and will help me do my job much better — having a familiarity with people.”

Roth said she is meeting Tuesday with Board President Jorge Perez to discuss committee assignments. If she had her preference, she would join the community development and the city services and environmental policy committees, she said.

Ward 7 covers downtown and part of East Rock. The seat was vacated at the beginning of February when Hausladen was tapped by Mayor Toni Harp to head the city’s Transportation, Traffic and Parking Department.

ISAAC STANLEY-BECKER