Special Elections Scheduled for Three State House Seats

Vacant seats in three Connecticut state House districts will be filled through special elections over the coming months.

Stamford voters head to the polls Jan. 25 to elect a successor to Democrat Caroline Simmons, who resigned the 144th District seat following her election in November as the city’s mayor.

Democrat Hubert Delany and Republican Danny Melchionne are the endorsed party candidates running to succeed Simmons, who held the seat for seven years.

Delaney is a U.S. Army reservist and public affairs adviser and Melchionne is a registered respiratory therapist. Both are first-time General Assembly candidates.

February, March Elections

Voters in Middlebury and parts of Waterbury will choose a new state representative Feb. 22 to replace Republican incumbent Tony D’Amelio.

D’Amelio cited family and business commitments when he announced his retirement last month from the 71st District seat he held for 25 years.

A third special election is scheduled for March 1 to fill the 5th District seat—which includes parts of Hartford and Windsor—vacated by Democrat Brandon McGee.

McGee, who held the seat since 2013, resigned earlier this month to join Gov. Ned Lamont’s reelection campaign.

Democrats hold 95 seats and Republicans 53 in the 151-seat House of Representatives, with three vacancies.

No-excuse mail-in voting—implemented during the pandemic—expired in Connecticut last November and voters now may only use absentee ballots based on traditional reasons, such as being away, illness, or physical disability.