Connecticut State Senate District 22

Connecticut State Senate District 22 is represented by Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox (D).

As of the 2020 Census, Connecticut state senators represented an average of 100,231 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 99,490 residents.

About the office

Members of the Connecticut State Senate serve two-year terms without term limits.^[1] Connecticut legislators assume office the Wednesday following the first Monday of the January next succeeding their election.^[2]

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

Article III, Section 3 of the Connecticut Constitution states: "The senate shall consist of not less than thirty and not more than fifty members, each of whom shall have attained the age of twenty-one years and be an elector residing in the senatorial district from which he is elected."^[3]

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

State legislative salaries, 2024^[4]
Salary	Per diem
$40,000/year	No per diem is paid.

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

If there is a vacancy in the Connecticut General Assembly, a special election must be conducted to fill the vacant seat. The governor must call for an election no later than 10 days after the vacancy happens. All special elections must be held no later than 46 days after a governor's declaration. If the vacancy occurs between the 125th day and the 49th day before the day of the regular election, the special election will be held on the same day as the general election. If a vacancy occurs after the 49th day before the general election but before the Wednesday following the first Monday of January of the next-succeeding year, the governor shall not call a special election unless the vacant position is that of a member-elect.^[5]

See sources: Connecticut Gen. Stat. § 9-215

District map

Redistricting

2020 redistricting cycle

See also: Redistricting in Connecticut after the 2020 census

The Connecticut Reapportionment Commission voted 8-0 in favor of new maps for the state's 151 House districts and 36 Senate districts on November 18 and November 23, 2021, respectively.^[6]^[7] The commission, made up of four Democratic lawmakers, four Republican lawmakers, and a ninth member selected by the commissioners, took over the redistricting process after the previous Reapportionment Committee failed to meet its Sept. 15 deadline to select maps and win two-thirds approval from both chambers of the Connecticut General Assembly.^[8] Census data was not delivered until Sept. 16. Unlike the committee, maps prepared by the Reapportionment Commission did not need to win approval from the General Assembly.^[9] This map took effect for Connecticut's 2022 legislative elections.

How does redistricting in Connecticut work? In Connecticut, the state legislature is primarily responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district lines. Maps must be approved by a two-thirds vote in each chamber. If the state legislature is unable to approve new maps, a backup commission is convened to draw congressional and state legislative district boundaries. The commission consists of nine members. The four legislative leaders (i.e., the majority and minority leaders of each chamber of the legislature) appoint two members each. The ninth member is selected by the eight previously selected commissioners.^[10]^[11]

The Connecticut Constitution requires that all districts, whether congressional or state legislative, be contiguous. In addition, state House districts must "not divide towns except where necessary to comply with other legal requirements."^[12]

Connecticut State Senate District 22
until January 3, 2023

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Connecticut State Senate District 22
starting January 4, 2023

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Connecticut State Senate District 22

Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox defeated Chris Carrena and Robert E. Halstead in the general election for Connecticut State Senate District 22 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox (D)	57.7	23,712
		Chris Carrena (R)	40.3	16,577
	Submit photo	Robert E. Halstead (Independent Party)	2.0	813

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 41,102
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Connecticut State Senate District 22

Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox defeated Bill Finch, Tyler Mack, and Scott Burns in the Democratic primary for Connecticut State Senate District 22 on August 13, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox	41.1	1,753
	Submit photo	Bill Finch	27.8	1,188
		Tyler Mack	17.1	732
		Scott Burns	14.0	596

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,269
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Shante' Hanks (D) (Unofficially withdrew)

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Chris Carrena advanced from the Republican primary for Connecticut State Senate District 22.