The District 19 seat in the Connecticut House of Representatives is up for special election on April 16. On March 8 and March 9, political parties held conventions to select their nominees. The Democratic nominee is Tammy Exum, and the Republican nominee is Robert Margolis.

Derek Slap (D), the previous District 19 representative, vacated the seat on February 26 after he won a special election for the District 5 seat in the Connecticut State Senate. Slap was first elected to the state House in 2016 with more than 53 percent of the vote, and he ran unopposed for re-election in 2018. The prior officeholder, Brian Becker (D), was elected in 2010 and re-elected in both 2012 and 2014.

Entering the special election, the Connecticut House of Representatives has 90 Democrats, 60 Republicans, and one vacancy. A majority in the chamber requires 76 seats. Connecticut has a Democratic trifecta, which exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and both state legislative chambers.

As of March 12, 45 state legislative special elections have been scheduled or held in 18 states. Between 2011 and 2018, an average of 77 special elections took place each year.