2022 Connecticut Secretary of the State election
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The 2022 Connecticut Secretary of the State election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the next Secretary of the State of Connecticut. Incumbent Democrat Denise Merrill planned to retire at the end of her elected term,[1] but resigned on June 30 to care for her ailing husband.[2] Governor Lamont appointed former associate attorney general Mark Kohler to the position. Kohler was sworn in on July 11. He was not a candidate for the office in the November election.[3]
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November 8, 2022
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Thomas: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
80–90% Rapini: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Stephanie Thomas, state representative from the 143rd district (2021–2023)[4]
Eliminated in primary
Withdrawn
- Darryl Brackeen Jr., New Haven alderman[7][8] (running for state house)[9]
- Josh Elliott, state representative from the 88th district (2017–present)[10] (running for re-election)[11]
- Matt Lesser, state senator from the 9th district (2019–present)[12][13][14]
- Hilda Santiago, state representative from the 84th district (2013–present)[15][16]
Declined
- Mark Kohler, incumbent secretary of the state
Controversy
During Matt Lesser's election bid for Secretary of the State in 2022, he faced backlash for attempting to change the order of balloting at the Democratic State Convention in the final hours.
Lesser pushed to have his race listed at the top rather than the bottom, a strategic move driven by the belief that his chances of endorsement might diminish if several white male candidates were considered before him.
Notably, two leading contenders for the endorsement were women of color, one of whom eventually became the nominee, Stephanie Thomas, the current Secretary of State.[17]
Endorsements
Local officials
- Justin Elicker, mayor of New Haven[18]
- Matthew Hoey, Guilford first selectman[18]
Labor unions
Statewide officials
- Denise Merrill, former Secretary of the State of Connecticut (2011–2022)[21]
State legislators
- Jorge Cabrera, state senator[22]
- Josh Elliott, state representative[22]
Local officials
Organizations
Statewide officials
- Ned Lamont, governor of Connecticut[24]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Stephanie Thomas | 84,392 | 75.81% | |
| Democratic | Maritza Bond | 26,929 | 24.19% | |
| Total votes | 111,321 | 100.0% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
Eliminated in primary
- Terrie Wood, state representative from the 141st district (2009–present)[27]
Withdrawn
- Brock Weber, executive aide to New Britain mayor Erin Stewart[28][29]
Endorsements
Organizations
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dominic Rapini | 51,080 | 58.23% | |
| Republican | Terrie Wood | 36,634 | 41.77% | |
| Total votes | 87,714 | 100.0 | ||
Independent Party of Connecticut primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Cynthia Jennings, environmental attorney[32]
Libertarian primary
Nominee
- Stephen Dincher, chairman of the Libertarian Party of Connecticut[33]
Green primary
Nominee
- Douglas Lary[33]
General election
Debate
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Democratic | Republican | Libertarian | Green | Independent Party of Connecticut |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
|||||||||
| Stephanie Thomas | Dominic Rapini | Stephen Dincher | Douglas Lary | Cynthia Jennings | |||||
| 1 | Oct. 25, 2022 | Connecticut Public Broadcasting |
Walter Smith Randolph |
YouTube | P | P | N | N | N |
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[34] | Safe D | December 1, 2021 |
| Elections Daily[35] | Safe D | November 7, 2022 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Stephanie Thomas | 665,631 | 53.44% | −0.37% | |
| Working Families | Stephanie Thomas | 22,083 | 1.77% | −0.30% | |
| Total | Stephanie Thomas | 687,714 | 55.22% | -0.67% | |
| Republican | Dominic Rapini | 532,218 | 42.73% | +0.27% | |
| Independent Party | Cynthia Jennings | 25,488 | 2.05% | N/A | |
| Total votes | 1,245,420 | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
By county
| County | Stephanie Thomas Democratic |
Dominic Rapini Republican |
Other parties Independent |
Total votes cast | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Fairfield | 172,419 | 56.18% | 128,813 | 41.97% | 5,650 | 1.84% | 306,882 |
| Hartford | 173,961 | 58.28% | 117,869 | 39.49% | 6,674 | 2.24% | 298,504 |
| Litchfield | 34,687 | 43.95% | 42,609 | 53.99% | 1,620 | 2.05% | 78,916 |
| Middlesex | 38,490 | 53.38% | 32,125 | 44.55% | 1,490 | 2.07% | 72,105 |
| New Haven | 147,734 | 53.71% | 121,957 | 44.34% | 5,351 | 1.95% | 275,042 |
| New London | 51,664 | 53.67% | 42,159 | 43.79% | 2,448 | 2.54% | 96,271 |
| Tolland | 29,647 | 51.27% | 26,879 | 46.48% | 1,297 | 2.24% | 57,823 |
| Windham | 17,029 | 45.06% | 19,807 | 52.41% | 958 | 2.53% | 37,794 |
| Totals | 665,631 | 54.41% | 532,218 | 43.51% | 25,488 | 2.08% | 1,223,337 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
By congressional district
Thomas won all five congressional districts.[37]
| District | Thomas | Rapini | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 60% | 37% | John B. Larson |
| 2nd | 53% | 45% | Joe Courtney |
| 3rd | 56% | 42% | Rosa DeLauro |
| 4th | 58% | 40% | Jim Himes |
| 5th | 50% | 48% | Jahana Hayes |