Connecticut State Senate elections, 2020

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2020 Connecticut Senate Elections
General	November 3, 2020
Primary	August 11, 2020

Past Election Results

2018・2016・2014 2012・2010・2008

2020 Elections
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Democrats gained seats in the 2020 elections for Connecticut State Senate, giving them a supermajority. All 36 seats in the chamber were up for election in 2020. Heading into the election, Democrats held 22 seats and Republicans held 14. Democrats gained a net two seats from Republicans, winning a 24-12 majority.

The Connecticut State Senate was one of 86 state legislative chambers with elections in 2020. All 36 Connecticut Senate seats were up for election in 2020. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. In 2018, 87 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections.

Connecticut's 2020 state legislative elections affected partisan control of redistricting following the 2020 census. In Connecticut, the state legislature is responsible for drafting both congressional and state legislative district plans. District plans are not subject to gubernatorial veto.

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

Connecticut modified its absentee/mail-in voting and candidate filing procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

• Absentee/mail-in voting: Absentee/mail-in ballot applications were sent to all registered voters in the general election. Voters could cite concern over COVID-19 as a reason for voting absentee in the general election.
• Candidate filing procedures: The filing deadlines for major-party and unaffiliated candidates were extended by two days, to June 11, 2020, and August 7, 2020, respectively.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Party control

See also: Partisan composition of state senates and State government trifectas

Connecticut State Senate
Party		As of November 3, 2020	After November 4, 2020
	Democratic Party	22	24
	Republican Party	14	12
Total		36	36

General election

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Primary election

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Incumbents who were not re-elected

See also: Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report: Vol. 10, 2020

Incumbents defeated in the general election

Two incumbents lost in the Nov. 3 general election. Those incumbents were:

Name	Party	Office
Gennaro Bizzarro	Republican	Senate District 6
George Logan	Republican	Senate District 17

Incumbents defeated in primary elections

No incumbents lost in the Aug. 11 primaries.

Retiring incumbents

There was one open seat where the incumbent legislator did not file for re-election in 2020. That incumbent was:

Name	Party	Office	Reason
Leonard Fasano	Republican	Senate District 34	Retired

The one seat left open in 2020 represented the lowest number of open seats within the preceding decade. The table below shows the number of open seats in each election held between 2010 and 2020.

Open Seats in Connecticut State Senate elections: 2010 - 2020
Year	Total seats	Open seats	Seats with incumbents running for re-election
2020	36	1 (3 percent)	35 (97 percent)
2018	36	7 (19 percent)	29 (81 percent)
2016	36	2 (6 percent)	34 (94 percent)
2014	36	6 (17 percent)	30 (83 percent)
2012	36	3 (8 percent)	33 (92 percent)
2010	36	4 (11 percent)	32 (89 percent)

Process to become a candidate

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Connecticut

See statutes: Chapter 153 of the Connecticut Statutes

Major party candidates

If more than one candidate belonging to the same party is running for the same office, a primary election will be held for that office. If there is only a single candidate seeking a party's nomination for an office, that candidate will advance to the general election without running in the primary election.

A major party candidate may be nominated to run in the primary election in one of two ways: nomination at a convention or nomination by petition.

By nomination at a convention

To be nominated at a convention, a candidate must receive at least 15 percent of the votes cast by convention delegates for the office being sought. After being nominated at a convention, a candidate must file a certificate of nomination with the Connecticut Secretary of State. The certificate must be signed by the candidate, state that the candidate was endorsed by the major party at the convention, and provide the candidate's name as it will appear on the ballot, the candidate's address, and the office being sought by the candidate. The certificate must also be attested to by the chairman, presiding officer, or secretary of the convention.

By petition

A candidate who has been nominated by convention cannot be nominated by petition. To be nominated by petition, a major party candidate must collect signatures equal to at least 2 percent of the total number of members enrolled in that major party in the state (5 percent for state legislative candidates). Petition forms to collect those signatures are provided by the Connecticut Secretary of State beginning on the 105th day preceding the primary election for candidates seeking federal or state executive office. Candidates seeking office in the Connecticut State Legislature can retrieve petition forms beginning on the 77th day preceding the primary election.

Petitions must be filed with the registrar of voters in each town in which signatures were collected no later than the 63 days preceding the primary. The registrar of voters must provide a receipt of the petition to the candidate, and the candidate must file a copy of that receipt with the Connecticut Secretary of State. The registrar of voters must then certify the names on the petition and file it with the Connecticut Secretary of State within seven days.

Minor party candidates

A minor party candidate whose party has not yet attained qualified status must be nominated by petition. A minor party petition candidate affiliates with his or her party on an "Application for Reservation of Party Designation and Formation of Party Designation Committee." This form must be filed with the Connecticut Secretary of State. On this application, the candidate must indicate a party, whose name includes no more than three words (or no more than 25 letters), and must provide signatures from 25 registered voters in the state. The candidate must also provide the names of two individuals who will be responsible for filing a statement of endorsement qualifying the candidate to run under the party name specified. Candidates for the same minor party for state offices may be included on the same petition. Candidates for all other offices must file separate petitions.

A minor party candidate whose party has attained qualified status can be nominated without a petition. The presiding officer of the committee or meeting in charge of deciding on nominations is required to certify and file a list of the minor party’s nominees with the Connecticut Secretary of State no later than 62 days prior to the election in which the candidates will be running. The list of nominees must include the following information:

• the names of the candidates as they will appear on the ballot
• the signature of each candidate
• the address of each candidate
• the title and office sought by each candidate

Petition candidates

An unaffiliated candidate can petition for ballot access. To do this, the candidate must first file an application for the petition with the Connecticut Secretary of State. The application must include the name of the candidate and a statement signed by the candidate affirming that he or she has consented to place his or her name on the petition. The candidate may then circulate the petition. The candidate must collect signatures from registered, eligible voters equal to 1 percent of the votes cast at the most recent election for the office being sought by the candidate, or 7,500 signatures, whichever is less.

Once completed, the petition may be filed with either the Connecticut Secretary of State or the town clerk where the candidate resides. If the petition is filed with the town clerk, the town clerk must submit it to the Connecticut Secretary of State within two weeks of receiving it.

Write-in candidates

A write-in candidate may only run in the general election. To do so, he or she must register with the Connecticut Secretary of State no earlier than 90 days but no later than 14 days before the general election. The registration must include the candidate's name and address, the office being sought, and a statement of consent to be a candidate. A write-in candidate cannot designate an affiliation with a political party, and no candidate who was nominated by a major or minor party or by petition may run as a write-in candidate.

2020 ballot access requirements

The table below details filing requirements for Connecticut State Senate candidates in the 2020 election cycle.

Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020
Chamber name	Party	Signatures required	Filing fee	Filing deadline	Source
Connecticut State Senate	Qualified party	5% of registered party members (reduced to 70% of statutory requirement in response to COVID-19 outbreak)	N/A	6/11/2020	Source
Connecticut State Senate	Unaffiliated	1% of votes cast for the office being sought in the last preceding election (reduced to 70% of statutory requirement in response to COVID-19 outbreak)	N/A	8/7/2020	Source

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

Article III, Section 3 of the Connecticut Constitution states: The senate shall consist of not less than thirty and not more than fifty members, each of whom shall be an elector residing in the senatorial district from which he is elected. Each senatorial district shall be contiguous as to territory and shall elect no more than one senator.

Salaries and per diem

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

State legislative salaries, 2024
Salary	Per diem
$40,000/year	No per diem is paid.

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Connecticut legislators assume office the Wednesday following the first Monday of January after their election.

Connecticut political history

Trifectas

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.

Connecticut Party Control: 1992-2024
Fourteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
Governor	I	I	I	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	D	D	D	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
House	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D

Presidential politics in Connecticut

2016 Presidential election results

U.S. presidential election, Connecticut, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes	Electoral votes
	Democratic	Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine	54.6%	897,572	7
	Republican	Donald Trump/Mike Pence	40.9%	673,215	0
	Libertarian	Gary Johnson/Bill Weld	3%	48,676	0
	Green	Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka	1.4%	22,841	0
	-	Write-in votes	0.2%	2,616	0
Total Votes				1,644,920	7
Election results via: Connecticut Secretary of State

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate whom they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Connecticut utilizes a closed primary system, in which only registered party members may vote in a party's primary. However, Connecticut state law allows parties to decide whether unaffiliated voters can vote in their primary before each election.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

In Connecticut, all polling places are open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Election Day. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in Connecticut, one must be a U.S. citizen and Connecticut resident who is at least 17 years-old and will be 18 on or before Election Day.

Registration applications can be submitted online or completed via paper forms. The deadline for mail-in applications is 18 days before an election or primary, while same-day registration is available but must be completed at designated election-day registration locations in each town.

Automatic registration

Connecticut automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Connecticut has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Connecticut allows same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Connecticut, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Connecticut does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, if you knowingly providing false information, "you can be convicted and imprisoned for up to five years and fined up to $5,000."

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. As of November 2024, five states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, and New Hampshire — had passed laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration. However, only two of those states' laws were in effect, in Arizona and New Hampshire. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allowed noncitizens to vote in some local elections as of November 2024. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The site Voter Registration Lookup, run by the Connecticut Secretary of State office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Connecticut requires voters to present non-photo identification while voting. A voter who does not present a required ID may sign an affidavit with their name, address, and date of birth, and then election officials may determine that the voter is eligible to vote.

The following list of accepted ID was current as of July 2024. Click here for the Connecticut Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

First-time voters who registered by mail must present one of the following forms of identification to vote in an election with federal candidates on the ballot:

• Copy of a current and valid photo identification with the voter’s name and address, or
• Copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or government document that shows the voter’s name and address.

Other voters must present one of the following forms of identification:

• Any re-printed form of identification that shows the voter's name and address, name and signature, or name and photograph.
• Social security card.

Early voting

Connecticut permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Governor Ned Lamont (D) signed Public Act 23-5 into law on June 7, 2023. The law, which went into effect on July 1, 2023, implemented in-person early voting for elections occurring after January 1, 2024. The length of the early voting period varies based on the type of election. Fourteen days of early voting are required for general elections, seven days are required for most primaries, and four days are required for special elections and presidential preference primaries. Each municipality was required to establish at least one early voting location.

In 2022, Connecticut voters approved a legislatively referred constitutional amendment allowing the Connecticut General Assembly to pass laws providing for in-person early voting.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

Connecticut voters are eligible to vote absentee/by-mail in an election if they cannot make it to the polls on election day for one of the following reasons:

• Active military service
• Absence from town of residence during voting hours
• Illness or physical disability, or role as a caregiver to another individual with illness or disability
• Religious beliefs precluding secular activity on election day
• Performance of duties as an election official at a different polling place during voting hours

To request an absentee/mail-in ballot, a voter may complete and sign an application and return it to their town clerk, or complete an online application. Voters requesting an absentee/mail-in ballot within six days of an election must complete an emergency application.

An absentee ballot must be returned either in person by close of business the day before the election or by mail. If returned by mail, the ballot must be received by close of polls on election day.

See also

• Connecticut State Senate
• Connecticut State Legislature
• State legislative elections, 2020

External links

Suggest a link

• Connecticut State Legislature

Footnotes

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Current members of the Connecticut State Senate

Leadership

Majority Leader:Bob Duff

Minority Leader:Stephen Harding

Senators

District 1

John Fonfara (D)

District 2

Douglas McCrory (D)

District 3

Saud Anwar (D)

District 4

MD Rahman (D)

District 5

Derek Slap (D)

District 6

Rick Lopes (D)

District 7

John Kissel (R)

District 8

Lisa Seminara (R)

District 9

Matthew Lesser (D)

District 10

Gary Winfield (D)

District 11

Martin Looney (D)

District 12

Christine Cohen (D)

District 13

Jan Hochadel (D)

District 14

James Maroney (D)

District 15

Joan Hartley (D)

District 16

Robert Sampson (R)

District 17

Jorge Cabrera (D)

District 18

Heather Somers (R)

District 19

Catherine Osten (D)

District 20

Martha Marx (D)

District 21

Kevin Kelly (R)

District 22

Marilyn Moore (D)

District 23

Herron Gaston (D)

District 24

Julie Kushner (D)

District 25

Bob Duff (D)

District 26

Ceci Maher (D)

District 27

Patricia Miller (D)

District 28

Tony Hwang (R)

District 29

Mae Flexer (D)

District 30

Stephen Harding (R)

District 31

Henri Martin (R)

District 32

Eric Berthel (R)

District 33

Norm Needleman (D)

District 34

Paul Cicarella (R)

District 35

Jeff Gordon (R)

District 36

Ryan Fazio (R)

Democratic Party (24)

Republican Party (12)