CT Democrats score big on underticket, Congressional races
Christopher Keating
https://www.courant.com/2026/11/03/ct-democrats-score-big-on-underticket-congressional-races/
Riding a wave in Connecticut, Democrats scored big Tuesday night on Congressional and statewide races for numerous important offices.
Based on President Donald Trump’s disapproval rating of 70% in Connecticut in a recent survey, Democrats were highly optimistic for an anti-Trump wave that would continue the party’s record of winning every Congressional race and statewide constitutional office in the state since 2006.
The candidates cheered their victories at Dunkin’ Park in downtown Hartford as the state’s top Democrats gathered together to celebrate. The party swept all “under ticket” races with Democratic incumbents seeking reelection in races that had received far less attention than the big-money, big-advertising governor’s race.
The state’s four constitutional officers all delivered speeches to a cheering crowd that was also watching national reports on large television screens of Democratic victories on CNN.
But state comptroller Sean Scanlon told the crowd of hundreds of Democrats that he had not yet been officially declared as the winner.
“As a superstitious Irishman, I’m not going to declare victory,” Scanlon told the crowd. “What I am going to say is the people of Connecticut have spoken.”
State comptroller Sean Scanlon talks to supporters talks to supporters after winning on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, at Dunkin’ Park in Hartford. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)
He then introduced his mother on stage as “the star of my commercials” for her role in the 30-second spots as Scanlon told the story of being raised by a single mother. Scanlon was running for his second term against Jen Tooker, the former Republican first selectman of Westport who ran briefly last year for governor before suspending her campaign. Democrats have controlled the comptroller’s office every year since 1975.
Tooker eventually called Scanlon to concede the race on Tuesday night.
Attorney General William Tong points toward the crowd of supporters after winning on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, at Dunkin’ Park in Hartford. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)
State Attorney General William Tong defeated Republican John Bolton, a former member of the Westport planning and zoning commission. Democrats have held the state office for more than 65 years under big-name Democrats like Joe Lieberman and Richard Blumenthal, who both later became U.S. senators. Tong was a constant presence in commercials on local news programs and cable networks, compared to a low-key campaign waged by Bolton.
Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas won a second term against longtime Republican candidate Peter Lumaj to be the state’s chief elections official. Democrats have held the office since 1995. Lumaj, a Fairfield attorney, has run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2012, secretary of the state in 2014, governor in 2018, and U.S. Senate again in 2022.
State Treasurer Erick Russell talks to supporters talks to supporters after winning on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, at Dunkin’ Park in Hartford. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)
State Treasurer Erick Russell won his second term against former state Rep. Fred Wilms, who served in the legislature from his hometown of Norwalk for four years before being defeated by Democrat Lucy Dathan. The treasurer’s office oversees the state pensions funds, which in mid-September had a record-breaking $76 billion.
Congress
Democrats have won all Congressional races in Connecticut since 2006 as the last Republican member of Congress from the state was Chris Shays of Bridgeport, a 21-year congressional veteran who lost his seat in 2008.
Four of the five U.S. House of Representatives seats are currently held by Democratic incumbents, but there will be a newcomer in the 27-town district in Greater Hartford to replace outgoing U.S. Rep. John B. Larson of East Hartford. Former Hartford mayor Luke Bronin, who defeated Larson in a primary in August, defeated Dr. Amy Chai, who does not live in the district and lost previously to longtime U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro of New Haven in the 3rd District.
DeLauro secured re-election, as did U.S. Rep. Jim Himes of Greenwich in a rematch in the 4th Congressional District as he defeated Dr. Michael Goldstein, a fellow Greenwich resident.
Longtime Hartford Democratic political operative Matt Hennessy said that Republicans were running “Tier D candidates” who did not generate widespread votes across the state.
In the 2nd Congressional District that runs from Enfield to the shoreline in eastern Connecticut, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney has won every two years since 2006 and won over George Patrick Austin, a small business owner who was pushing for affordability at a time of high voter concerns about inflation and steep gasoline prices.
Courtney is skilled at attracting “Trump – Courtney voters” who break away from the Republican line and vote for Courtney due to his support for farmers and the workers at the Electric Boat submarine manufacturer, Hennessy said. That includes rural places like Bozrah, Lebanon, and Scotland, where Courtney “comes to their farms and talks dairy policy,” Hennessy said. “He’s pulling those people to the Democratic side.”
At the other end of the state, Republicans believed they had their best chance in the 5th District, where former Navy SEAL Chris Shea of Cheshire ran against four-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, a Wolcott Democrat. But Hayes emerged victorious Tuesday night.
As a tax-cutting Republican, Shea said that he favors Trump’s policies of “no tax on tips” and no tax on overtime, which have not been adopted at the state level in Connecticut. As such, employees still pay state income tax on tips and overtime in Connecticut, while they do not pay federal income tax on that income. In addition, Shea strongly believes that transgender girls should not be permitted to play against girls in sports, and he favors the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling in June that allows states to limit participation to biological girls only at the high school and college level.
Seeking her fifth term, Hayes had always faced competitive races, particularly her two last races against Republican George Logan, a former state senator. Hayes has been targeted repeatedly by national Republicans, but they have been unable to defeat her at the ballot box.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said that some voters reflexively voted for Democrats because they were upset with Trump’s tariffs and the war in Iran, among others.
Describing the attitude of some voters, Blumenthal said, “I’m mad, first and foremost, and I am especially mad at any Republican who cannot stand up to Trump.”
Blumenthal said that he understood the anti-Trump attitude because he ran for the state legislature in 1984 when then-President Ronald Reagan won a blowout election as Republicans scored well nationwide. Blumenthal won that race, but said that he had to knock on numerous doors to explain to voters that he should be one of the Democrats to win that year.
While Blumenthal has not made any formal announcements that he will seek re-election again in 2028 at the age of 82, many party insiders believe that he will run.
When interrupted by a voter standing next to him at the Yard Goats’ stadium, Blumenthal said, “I’m feeling fantastic looking at 2028.”
CT Senate
Multiple races for the state Senate were tight battles that have featured hard-fought clashes. Democrats held a supermajority at 25-11 in the 36-member chamber going into Election Day, but they said the would pick up seats. Republicans, though, countered that they could pick up seats, too.
In the 8th Senate District covering Avon, Canton, Simsbury, and towns north to the Massachusetts border, first-term Democrat Paul Honig battled against Republican Mike Criss, the Harwinton first selectman since 2011. The two candidates sent negative campaign mailers to homes in the 11-town district that blast Honig as “Pay Cut Paul” and Criss as a pro-Trump MAGA supporter.
In Fairfield County, with longtime Sen. Tony Hwang of Fairfield not seeking re-election, 38-year-old Newtown Democrat Rob Blanchard ran against 39-year-old Republican finance board member Amybeth Laroche of Newtown. Democrats say they had a strong chance at winning the open seat, along with Fazio’s open seat in Greenwich as he is running for governor.
The Fairfield Senate seat, which also includes Newtown, Bethel, and Easton, has been controlled by Republicans for the past 50 years. The seat was essentially guaranteed for Republicans during 16 years each by Sen. John McKinney and Sen. Ted Lovegrove.
Insiders were closely watching some Senate races that they thought would be closer than expected, including Senate Republican leader Stephen Harding of Brookfield against Democrat Aaron Zimmer in an 18-town district in the state’s northwestern corner. Another key race was longtime Republican Sen. John Kissel of Enfield against former state Rep. David Kiner, whose father was also a Democratic legislator. Numerous Democrats have tried to oust Kissel since 1993 when Lowell P. Weicker Jr. was serving as governor, but they have been unsuccessful.
A voter leaves after voting at West Hill School in Rocky Hill on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)