Connecticut Voters Deliver Historic Democratic Legislative Wins

Voters of Connecticut delivered historic wins not seen in half a century as Democrats won race after race across the state yesterday, the result of intensive strategizing, organizing and voter outreach in every city and town by Democrats.

Connecticut Democrats worked to support statewide and federal candidates, while recruiting and training Democrats to run in nearly every state House and Senate race, ensuring voters had a choice up and down the ballot. The party worked with candidates across the state to make sure they had the tools and the support needed to run robust campaigns.

“Democrats across Connecticut out-recruited, out-strategized, outraised, out-organized and out-performed Republicans in every corner of the state. We won by partnering with hard-working volunteers and talking to voters. I could not be more proud of our army of volunteers and our small, but mighty Connecticut Democratic Party staff,” Democratic Party Executive Director Sarah Locke said.

“We congratulate all of the winners. Our job moving forward is to support all elected Democrats as they take on some of the most pressing issues facing Connecticut – increasing support for education, expanding funding for school meals all students, and ensuring every resident of our state has access to health care,” CT Democratic Party Chairman Roberto Alves said.

In the state Senate, where Democrats flipped eight seats, the majority could be as high as 33 of 36 members, pending one recount. Senate candidates won in longtime Republican districts, including:

• David Kiner, who won in the 7^th District, held by Republican John Kissell since 1993; 

• Rob Blanchard in the 28^th District, an open seat held by Republicans since 1974; 

• Aaron Zimmer, ousting the Senate Minority Leader in the 30^th district, last won by a Democrat in 1978; 

• Ethan Werstler, prevailing in the 35th, the first Democrat to do so since 1990; 

• Popular former State Rep. Joe de la Cruz, defeating five-term incumbent Heather Somers in southeastern CT; 

• Carolann Reid, who won in the 21st district, the first Democrat to win the Stratford-Shelton-based district since John F. Kennedy was in the White House. 

• Jill Oberlander picked up the seat vacated by failed GOP gubernatorial candidate Ryan Fazio;

•  and Brandi Mandato holds a very narrow lead in the race in the 34th district, headed to recount.
  

In the House, Democrats flipped 14 Republican seats and will hold a 116-35 majority. They include:

• Democrat Bryan Lizotte won in Shelton's 113th, a seat held by Republicans for 52 years; 

• Ellen Paul became the first Democrat to win in the 55th since 1978; 

• David Fritz carried the 90th district, overcoming a GOP effort to protect incumbent Craig Fishbein by redrawing the district in 2021; 

• DeWayne Wynn, Jr. added to the string of recent Democratic wins in Bristol, ousting five-term GOP Rep and notable ICE superfan Cara Pavalock-D'Amato.