A special election will be held Feb. 25 for two General Assembly seats vacated when the incumbents resigned Jan. 7, and one state representative has already thrown his hat in the ring for consideration for the Senate.
State Rep. Jason Perillo, R-Shelton, has expressed interest in the open 21st Senate District seat formerly held by state Sen. Kevin Kelly, who resigned as he is being considered for a position as Superior Court judge.
The 21st District includes Shelton, Monroe, Seymour, and Stratford and has traditionally been Republican in recent years. The Democrats did not offer a candidate for the 2024 election. They have scheduled a convention for the 21th District for Thursday evening to nominate a candidate.
Perillo said the Republican convention delegates for the district are scheduled to meet in Monroe on Thursday evening to make their nomination, which he is seeking.
“I have a lot of experience at the Capitol,” said Perillo, who has represented Shelton since 2007. “In the other towns, I have some new voters to meet.”
Perillo said campaigning for a special election is like running a sprint, while a general election is more like a marathon. His strategy will be the same, whether there’s a Democratic candidate or not, he said.
“I run hard and talk to as many voters as possible, regardless of who my opponent is,” he said.
The key is to build strong relationships with town leaders and with voters, and to learn what the needs are in each town, Perillo said.
The other open legislative seat is in the 40th House District, which covers portions of Groton and New London. It was vacated by state Rep. Christine Conley, D-Groton, who is being appointed to the state’s Workers’ Compensation Commission.
The New London Day has reported that Groton Councilor Dan Gaiewski and former Groton Town Mayor Juan Melendez Jr. are likely candidates for the 40th District. Both are Democrats.
The Democrats will have its nominating convention for the 40th District in Groton on Thursday.
Tuesday evening, Republican Robert Boris announced his candidacy for the 40th District. Boris is the chairman of Groton’s Economic Development Commission, a Groton SEAT representative, vice chairman of the city’s planning and zoning board and chairman of the Mystic Chamber Foundation.
He said in his announcement on social media that he wants to focus on affordability, economic development and advocating for responsible oversight.
The 40th District convention delegates for the Republicans are scheduled to meet Wednesday to make their nomination.
Gov. Ned Lamont is required to issue a writ of special election within 10 days of a seat in the General Assembly becoming vacant, and under state law, a special election must be held 46 days after the writ is issued.
The resignations won’t affect the makeup of the General Assembly as Democrats already have a supermajorities. The state House is currently 102-49 and the state Senate 25-11.
If Perillo is elected for the Senate seat, another special election will need to be held to fill his House seat in the 113th District.
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