Your feedback ensures we stay focused on the facts that matter to you most—take our survey.
Connecticut state legislative special elections, 2025
Special state legislative • How to run for office |
2026 →
← 2024
|
Special Elections |
|
Alabama • California • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Iowa • Louisiana • Maine • Massachusetts • Minnesota • Mississippi • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New York • Oklahoma • Pennsylvania • Puerto Rico • Rhode Island • South Carolina• Texas • Virginia • Washington |
Other 2025 Election coverage |
State legislative elections Gubernatorial elections • Ballot measures |
In 2025, as of September, three special elections have been called to fill vacant seats in the Connecticut State Legislature. Click here to read more about the special elections.
Senate special elections called:
- District 21: February 25
House special elections called:
- District 40: February 25
- District 113: April 22
How vacancies are filled in Connecticut
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.[1]
See sources: Connecticut Gen. Stat. § 9-215
About the legislature
The Connecticut General Assembly is a bicameral body composed of the 151-member lower Connecticut House of Representatives and the 36-member upper Connecticut State Senate.
The boxes below show the partisan composition of both chambers directly before and after the most recent general elections prior to 2025. For the most up-to-date numbers on partisan composition in this legislature, see here (Senate) and here (House).
Connecticut State Senate | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | As of November 5, 2024 | After November 6, 2024 | |
Democratic Party | 24 | 25 | |
Republican Party | 12 | 10 | |
Vacancy | 0 | 1 | |
Total | 36 | 36 |
Connecticut House of Representatives | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | As of November 5, 2024 | After November 6, 2024 | |
Democratic Party | 98 | 101 | |
Republican Party | 53 | 49 | |
Vacancy | 0 | 1 | |
Total | 151 | 151 |
Special elections
Click [show] to the right of the district name for more information:
February 25
Connecticut State Senate District 21 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A special election for Connecticut State Senate District 21 was called for February 25, 2025. Candidates running for special elections in Connecticut are nominated through party conventions. The deadline for nomination by political parties was February 15, 2025.[2] The seat became vacant after the resignation of Kevin Kelly (R) on January 7, 2025.[3] General electionSpecial general election for Connecticut State Senate District 21Jason Perillo defeated Anthony Afriyie in the special general election for Connecticut State Senate District 21 on February 25, 2025.
|
Connecticut House of Representatives District 40 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A special election for Connecticut House of Representatives District 40 was called for February 25, 2025. Candidates running for special elections in Connecticut are nominated through party conventions. The deadline for nomination by political parties was February 15, 2025.[4] The seat became vacant after the resignation of Christine Conley (D) on January 7, 2025.[5] General electionSpecial general election for Connecticut House of Representatives District 40Dan Gaiewski defeated Robert Boris in the special general election for Connecticut House of Representatives District 40 on February 25, 2025.
|
April 22
Connecticut House of Representatives District 113 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A special election for Connecticut House of Representatives District 113 was called for April 22, 2025. The filing deadline was March 28, 2025.[6] The seat became vacant afterJason Perillo (R) was elected to State Senate District 21 a special election.[7] General electionSpecial general election for Connecticut House of Representatives District 113Amy Romano defeated Mike Duncan in the special general election for Connecticut House of Representatives District 113 on April 22, 2025.
|
Historical data
There were 1,007 state legislative special elections that took place from 2010 to 2024. Connecticut held 52 special elections during the same time period. The largest number of special elections in Connecticut took place in 2011 when 10 special elections were held.
The table below details how many state legislative special elections were held in a state in a given year.
Special elections throughout the country
As of September 2025, 87 state legislative special elections have been scheduled for 2025 in 22 states. One special election has also been called to fill a vacancy in the Puerto Rico House of Representatives. Between 2011 and 2024, an average of 70 special elections took place each year.
Breakdown of 2025 special elections
In 2025, special elections for state legislative positions are being held for the following reasons:
- 37 due to appointment, election, or the seeking of election to another position
- 23 due to resignation
- 14 due to redistricting
- 13 due to the death of the incumbent
- 1 due to the officeholder leaving at term end
Impact of special elections on partisan composition
The partisan breakdown for the special elections is as follows:
- 47 Democratic seats
- 40 Republican seats
- One New Progressive Party seat
As of September 18th, 2025, Republicans controlled 55.51% of all state legislative seats nationally, while Democrats held 43.68%. Republicans held a majority in 57 chambers, and Democrats held the majority in 39 chambers. Two chambers (Alaska House and Alaska Senate) were organized under multipartisan, power-sharing coalitions. One chamber (Minnesota House of Representatives) was split evenly between both parties.
Partisan balance of all 7,386 state legislative seats | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Legislative chamber | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Vacant | ||||
State senates | 834 | 1,122 | 5 | 12 | ||||
State houses | 2,392 | 2,978 | 20 | 23 | ||||
Total: | 3,226
|
4,100
|
25
|
35 |
The table below details how many seats changed parties as the result of a special election in 2025. The number on the left reflects how many vacant seats were originally held by each party, while the number on the right shows how many vacant seats each party won in the special elections.
Note: This table reflects information for elections that have been held and not the total number of vacant seats.
Partisan Change from Special Elections (2025) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | As of Special Election | After Special Election | |
Democratic Party | 47 | 26 | |
Republican Party | 40 | 19 | |
Independent | 0 | 1 | |
Total | 87 | 46 |
Flipped seats
In 2025, as of August 26, four seats have changed party hands as a result of state legislative special elections.
Seats that changed from D to I
Seats that changed from R to D
- Iowa State Senate District 35 (January 28)
- Pennsylvania State Senate District 36 (March 25)
- Iowa State Senate District 1 (August 26)
See also
- State legislative special elections, 2025
- State legislative special elections, 2024
- State legislative special elections, 2023
- State legislative special elections, 2022
- State legislative special elections, 2021
- State legislative special elections, 2020
- Connecticut State Legislature
Footnotes
- ↑ Connecticut General Assembly, "Connecticut General Statutes," accessed February 10, 2021 (Statute 9-215(a), Connecticut General Statutes)
- ↑ Connecticut Secretary of State's Office, "Secretary of the State’s Office Receives the Resignation of Senator Kevin C. Kelly," January 7, 2025
- ↑ CT News Junkie, "Perillo Seeking Open Senate Seat; Special Election Set For Feb. 25 ," January 15, 2025
- ↑ Connecticut Secretary of State's Office, "Secretary of the State's Office Receives the Resignation of State Representative Christine Conley," January 7, 2025
- ↑ CT News Junkie, "Perillo Seeking Open Senate Seat; Special Election Set For Feb. 25 ," January 15, 2025
- ↑ Connecticut Secretary of State's Office, "SGovernor Lamont Orders Special Election on April 22 for State Representative Seat in Shelton," March 7, 2025
- ↑ CT Mirror, "Special elections: Jason Perillo wins in Senate, Dan Gaiewski in House," Februaury 25, 2025
![]() |
State of Connecticut Hartford (capital) |
---|---|
Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |