A special general election was held for the District 144 seat in the Connecticut House of Representatives on Jan. 25. Hubert Delany (D) won the special election with 1,661 votes and defeated Danny Melchionne (R), who received 1,323 votes.
Candidates running for special elections in Connecticut are nominated through party conventions. The filing deadline for write-in candidates passed on Jan. 11.
The special election was called after Caroline Simmons (D) left office to become mayor of Stamford, Connecticut, on Dec. 1. Simmons served from 2015 to 2021.
As of January 2022, 31 state legislative special elections have been scheduled for 2022 in 15 states. Between 2011 and 2021, an average of 74 special elections took place each year. Connecticut has held 45 state legislative special elections from 2010 to 2021.
Entering the special election, the Connecticut House of Representatives had 95 Democrats, 53 Republicans, and three vacancies. A majority in the chamber requires 76 seats. Connecticut has a Democratic trifecta. A state government trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and both state legislative chambers.
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