January 9 Special Election for Bloomfield State House Seat

Voters in Bloomfield and parts of Windsor will go to the polls the second Tuesday in January to fill the vacant 15th House District seat.
The Jan. 9 special election follows the resignation of four-term incumbent David Baram, a Democrat who was elected to the 3rd District probate court in November.
Two Bloomfield Democrats—Bobby Gibson, Jr. and Joseph Suggs—will contest the seat. Baram ran unopposed in 2016.
Gibson, the party’s endorsed candidate, is a middle school science teacher and an alternate member of the Bloomfield Plan and Zoning Commission.
Suggs, a former state treasurer and former Bloomfield mayor, is running as a petitioning candidate.
Gibson told the Hartford Courant his lack of political experience was an asset and that he would focus on educational issues—particularly funding—if elected.
“I have a clean slate,” he said. “The only people I owe are teachers and students.”
Suggs cited his experience working on local and state budgets and said he would focus on healthcare access and support small business growth.
“I have a strong financial background,” he told the Courant. “That’s my strength.”
Baram was first elected to the House in 2009 and served on the General Assembly’s Banks, General Law, and Judiciary committees.
Democrats currently have a 78-72 seat margin in the state House, with one vacancy.