Your Guide To Connecticut’s August 9 Primary Elections

Registered Democrat and Republican voters in Connecticut will head to the polls August 9 to determine party candidates for statewide offices and two U.S. congressional seats. 

Polling places across the state will be open from 6 am to 8 pm. 

To be eligible to vote in primary elections, you must be registered as a Democrat or Republican voter.

Voters can only vote ahead of time through an absentee ballot. Connecticut voters are eligible to receive an absentee ballot if they are unable to get to the polls. 

Voters can apply for a ballot up until the day before the election, and ballots must either be deposited in a ballot box or turned in to town officials by the time the polls close on Election Day. 

Statewide Races

The office of the secretary of state contest is one that has developed over the last year, after Connecticut secretary of the state Denise Merrill announced she would not seek reelection for a fourth term in June of 2021. 

Two Democrats and two Republicans are on the primary ballots for secretary of state. 

State Rep. Stephanie Thomas is the Democratic endorsed candidate. She faces New Haven director of health Maritza Bond.

Apple executive Dominic Rapini won the GOP endorsement and will face state representative Terrie Wood.

The incumbent Democrat Shawn Wooden’s decision to not run again as state treasurer set up a three-way Democratic primary involving two former Democratic party vice presidents—Erick Russell and Dita Bhargava—and Karen DuBois-Walton, who leads the New Haven Public Housing Authority. 

Russell is the endorsed candidate. 

The winner of the primary will face state representative Harry Arora.

Statewide Office	Democratic Candidate	Republican Candidate
Secretary of the State	Stephanie Thomas* Maritza Bond	Dominic Rapini* Terrie Wood
Treasurer	Erick Russell* Dita Bhargava Karen DuBois-Walton

*Party endorsed candidate

State Senate Primary Elections

While there will be a number of general elections in the state Senate, there is only one Democratic race in the 23rd Senate district, serving Bridgeport and Stratford. 

Second-term incumbent Dennis Bradley lost the party’s endorsement for the Senate seat to Herron Gaston, a local Methodist Church leader and political activist. 

The Democratic Senate leadership stripped Bradley of his committee leadership assignments last spring after he was federally indicted. 

Senate District	Democratic Candidate	Republican Candidate
23rd (Bridgeport, Stratford)	Herron Gaston* Dennis Bradley+

*party endorsed candidate, +incumbent

State House Primaries

Democratic candidates in five House districts face primaries to determine who will represent the party in the general election. 

In Simsbury, local selectman and party-endorsed candidate Eric Wellman is challenging attorney Melissa Osborne.

Attorney Kurt Comisky and John Olin will face off in the 34th state House District Democratic primary election. 

Moira Rader, vice chair of the Guilford board of education and human rights activist Andy Gottlieb are the Democratic primary candidates for the 98th House District, held by Sean Scanlon (D-Guilford), who is running for state comptroller in the general election. 

In New Haven, incumbent state representative Treneé McGee, who earned the Democratic Party’s endorsement, is challenging supply chain and IT consultant Joseph Miller. 

State representative Jack Hennessy (D-Bridgeport) has held a seat for nine terms, but this year he is facing a primary challenge in the 127th House District against party-nominated city councilman Marcus Brown. 

Republican candidates in two House districts also face primary elections on August 9.

Southbury selectman Jason Buchsbaum is challenging first-term incumbent state representative Cindy Harrison (R-Southbury). 

Active GOP operative Joe Hoxha and small business banker Aileen Abrams are contesting the Republican primary for the 78th House District seat held by state representative Whit Betts (R-Bristol) who is retiring after six terms. 

House District	Democratic Candidate	Republican Candidate
16th (Simsbury)	Eric Wellman* Melissa Osborne
34th (East Haddam, East Hampton, Colchester)	Kurt Comisky John Olin
69th (Bridgewater, Roxbury, Washington, Southbury)		Jason Buchsbaum* Cindy Harrison
78th (Plymouth, Bristol)		Joe Hoxha* Aileen Abrams
98th (Guilford, Branford)	Moira Rader* Andy Gottlieb
116th (New Haven, West Haven)	Treneé McGee*+ Joseph Miller
127th (Bridgeport)	Marcus Brown* Jack Hennessy+

*party endorsed candidate, +incumbent

Congressional Primaries

Former state house of representatives minority leader Themis Klarides, Republican National Committeewoman Leora Levy, and attorney Peter Lumaj of Fairfield seek the Republican nomination to unseat Democratic incumbent U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal. 

Klarides won the Republican endorsement in the spring.

Former Darien first selectman Jayme Stevenson has the GOP endorsement for the 4th U.S. House District primary. She faces physician Michael Goldstein of Greenwich.

The winner of the primary will face seven-term incumbent Congressman Jim Himes.

Congressional Seat	Democratic Candidate	Republican Candidate
U.S. Senate		Themis Klarides* Leora R. Levy Peter Lumaj
4th U.S. House		Jayme Stevenson* Michael Goldstein

*party endorsed candidate, +incumbent

Sample Ballots: August 9 Primary Elections