Stephanie Thomas (politician)
American politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stephanie Thomas (born 1968 or 1969)[1] is an American politician and former nonprofit executive who has served as the 75th secretary of the state of Connecticut since January 2023.[2] A Democrat, she previously represented the 143rd district in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 2021 to 2023.
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Stephanie Thomas | |
|---|---|
Thomas in 2023 | |
| 75th Secretary of the State of Connecticut | |
| Assumed office January 4, 2023 | |
| Governor | Ned Lamont |
| Preceded by | Mark Kohler |
| Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from the 143rd district | |
| In office January 6, 2021 – January 4, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Gail Lavielle |
| Succeeded by | Dominique Johnson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1968 or 1969 (age 57–58) |
| Party | Democratic |
| Education | New York University (BS) New School (MS) |
| Website | State House website Campaign website |
Thomas is the fourteenth woman and first African-American woman to serve as Secretary of the State of Connecticut.[3]
Education
As a high school student, Thomas volunteered for organizations including Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Special Olympics.[4] Thomas earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from New York University. She later received a master's degree in nonprofit management from The New School.
Career
Early career
Prior to becoming a state legislator, she was a consultant active in the nonprofit sector for 26 years. She founded and owns Stetwin Consulting, a Norwalk-based consulting firm that advises nonprofits on fundraising strategies.[5] Prior to running for the state legislature, she was a member of the Norwalk Democratic Town Committee.[6]
Connecticut House of Representatives
2018 candidacy
In 2018, Thomas ran to represent the 143rd district in the Connecticut House of Representatives.[7] She ran as a political newcomer against Republican incumbent Gail Lavielle, who had been expected to run unopposed up until the final days of the filing deadline.[6] Her candidacy was supported by the Connecticut Working Families Party.[8]
2020 election and tenure
Thomas decided to mount another candidacy to represent the district in the 2020 election. She announced her candidacy in February 2020, and expressed her intention to run against Lavielle.[9] However, Lavielle decided to forgo a bid for reelection, and supported fellow Republican Patrizia Zucaro's candidacy to succeed her.[10]
Thomas ultimately won the general election against Zucaro[11][12] She took office on January 6, 2021. As a member of the state house, Thomas served as a member of both the Commerce and Transportation Committees, as well as the Government Administration and Elections Committee.[13]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Stephanie Thomas | 8,105 | 53.70 | |
| Republican | Patrizia Zucaro | 6,409 | 42.47 | |
| Independent Party | Patrizia Zucaro | 321 | 2.13 | |
| Working Families | Stephanie Thomas | 257 | 1.70 | |
| Total votes | 15,092 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||
Secretary of the State
2022 election
Thomas ran for the position of Secretary of the State in the 2022 election after incumbent Denise Merrill declined to run for a fourth term in office.[15] Thomas faced Maritza Bond, health director of New Haven, in the Democratic primary. Bond received the endorsements of several labor unions, while Thomas received the endorsement of the state Democratic Party.
During the primary campaign, Bond criticized Thomas for missing a legislative vote related to state employees' union contracts. She defended her record, noting the labor endorsements she received during her state house candidacy. She stated she missed the vote due to work-related duties at her day job leading a nonprofit.[16]
Thomas ultimately won the nomination against Bond.[17] In the general election, Thomas ran on a platform that supported expanding access to voting.[3] Thomas won the general election against Republican opponent Dominic Rapini.[18] Thomas' victory made her the first African-American to serve as Secretary of the State.[3][19]
| 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 | |||||
Tenure
Following the controversial 2023 Bridgeport mayoral election, which was surrounded by allegations of voting irregularities, Thomas weighed in in support of proposed state legislation to increase election oversight.[21] In 2024, Thomas presided over the launch of the NextGen Elections program, which aims to recruit college students to become election workers.[22]
In 2024, Thomas testified before the state legislature on the need to protect election workers from security threats.[23] Under Thomas, the Secretary of the State's office has led an outreach campaign to help Connecticut residents identify election misinformation and disinformation.[24]