Democrat Larry Pemberton Jr. has won Connecticut’s special election in the 139th General Assembly district, according to the Connecticut Democratic Party and unofficial numbers from the Secretary of the State.
The seat has been held by a Democrat for more than 30 years, ever since district lines were redrawn after the 1990 Census.
The district, which consists of portions of Ledyard, Montville and Norwich, had a vacancy after long-time state Rep. Kevin Ryan died Nov. 23 after a lengthy illness. Ryan had served since 1992.
Pemberton, who was also endorsed by the Working Families Party, got about 64% of the votes and defeated Republican Brandon Sabbag and write-in candidate Mark Adams, who had previously run unsuccessfully against Ryan in both 2022 and 2024.
Adams, however, has a pending lawsuit against Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas over a technicality that prevented him from getting his name on the ballot for the special election. It is unclear how or if the outcome of that lawsuit might affect the election results.
Unofficial numbers from the Secretary of the State’s office on Tuesday evening showed Pemberton getting a total of 1,827 votes from the three towns, Sabbag getting 806 and Adams getting 200.
In Montville – Pemberton’s hometown – he took home 505 votes compared to Sabbag’s 254 votes and Adams’ 41 votes.
In Ledyard, Pemberton got 434 votes, Sabbag 197 and Adams 15. In Norwich, Pemberton got 888 votes, Sabbag 355 and Adams 144.
Pemberton is a member of and the treasurer for the Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation, has family ties to Foxwoods Resort and Casino and is believed to be the first Native American elected to the Connecticut legislature. He will serve the remainder of Ryan’s term – about 10 months – until the seat is up for re-election in November for a full two-year term.
The Norwich native had strong support from Gov. Ned Lamont, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and several local unions.
“This election has been a whirlwind,” Pemberton said in a statement on social media Tuesday evening. “I hope to be a voice for everyone in our district, whether you supported me or not.”
He also thanked his wife and four children for their love and support during the campaign.
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