2022 Connecticut Senate Election

The 2022 Connecticut State Senate election was held on November 8, 2022, as part of the biennial 2022 United States elections. Connecticut voters elected senators in all of the 36 State Senate districts. State senators serve two-year terms in the Connecticut State Senate, with all 36 of the seats up for election each cycle. Primary elections were held in August 2022.

Democrats gained one seat, increasing their majority to 24 out of 36 seats, and winning back the supermajority they had lost in a resignation and special election in 2021.

Retirements

Seven incumbents did not seek re-election in 2022.

Democrats

#District 4: Steve Cassano retired.
# District 13: Mary Abrams retired due to health concerns.
#District 26: Will Haskell retired.

Republicans

#District 8: Kevin Witkos retired.
#District 20: Paul Formica retired.
#District 30: Craig Miner retired.
# District 35: Dan Champagne retired.

Predictions

Results

One seat flipped from Republican to Democratic, resulting in a Democratic majority of 24–12 in the Senate chamber. This made up for the Democratic loss in the 2021 special election in District 36, resulting in the same senate composition following the 2020 senate election.

A special election in District 36 was held on August 17, 2021, to fill the vacancy left by Democrat Alex Kasser, who resigned effective June 22, 2021. Kasser cited her ongoing divorce proceedings as the reason for her resignation. Republican candidate Ryan Fazio was elected after defeating Democratic candidate Alexis Gevanter and Independent candidate John Blankley, flipping the seat from Democratic to Republican, resulting in a Democratic majority of 23-13 prior to the 2022 senate election.

Seven incumbent senators, Steve Cassano (D-4th), Kevin Witkos (R-8th), Mary Daugherty Abrams (D-13th), Paul Formica (R-20th), Will Haskell (D-26th), Craig Miner (R-30th), Dan Champagne (R-35th), did not attempt to run for reelection. One incumbent, Dennis Bradley (D-23rd), was defeated in the primaries.

Composition

Detailed results

District 1

Democratic incumbent John Fonfara was reelected to a 14th term after defeating Republican candidate Alexander Colaiacovo, Green Party candidate Oladotum Michael Oretade, and petitioning candidate Alyssa Peterson. Fonfara had represented the 1st District since 1997.

District 2

Democratic incumbent Douglas McCrory was reelected to a fourth term after running unopposed. McCrory had represented the 2nd District since 2017.

District 3

Democratic incumbent Saud Anwar was reelected to a third term after defeating Republican candidate Matt Harper. Anwar was also nominated by the Working Families Party. He had represented the 3rd District since 2019.

District 4

Democratic candidate MD Rahman was elected after defeating Republican candidate Jacqueline Crespan. Rahman was also nominated by the Working Families Party. This seat was previously held by Democrat Steve Cassano since 2011.

District 5

Democratic incumbent Derek Slap was reelected to a third term after running unopposed. Slap had represented the 5th District since 2019.

District 6

Democratic incumbent Rick Lopes was reelected to a second term after defeating Republican candidate Tremell Collins. Lopes was also nominated by the Working Families Party. Lopes had represented the 6th District since 2021.

District 7

Republican incumbent John Kissel was reelected to a 16th term after defeating Democratic candidate Cynthia Mangini. Kissel was also nominated by the Independent Party, while Mangini was also nominated by the Working Families Party. Kissel had represented the 7th District since 1993.

District 8

Republican candidate Lisa Seminara was elected after defeating Democratic candidate Paul Honig. Seminara was also nominated by the Independent Party. This seat was previously held by Republican Kevin Witkos since 2009.

District 9

Democratic incumbent Matt Lesser was reelected to a third term after defeating Republican candidate Lisa Marotta. Lesser was nominated by both the Working Families Party and the Independent Party. He had represented the 9th District since 2019.

District 10

Democratic incumbent Gary Winfield was reelected to a fourth term after defeating Republican candidate John Carlson. Winfield was also nominated by the Working Families Party, while Carlson was nominated by the Independent Party. Winfield had represented the 10th District since 2017.

District 11

Democratic incumbent and Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney was reelected to a 16th term after defeating Republican candidate Steve Orosco. Looney had represented the 11th District since 1993.

District 12

Democratic incumbent Christine Cohen was reelected to a third term after defeating Republican candidate Paul Crisci. Cohen was also nominated by both the Independent Party and the Working Families Party. She had represented the 12th District since 2019.

District 13

Democratic candidate Jan Hochadel was elected after defeating Republican candidate Joseph Vollano. Hochadel was also nominated by the Working Families Party, while Vollano was nominated by the Independent Party. This seat was previous held by Democrat Mary Abrams since 2019.

District 14

Democratic incumbent James Maroney was reelected to a third term after defeating Republican candidate Kim-Marie Mullin. Maroney was also nominated by the Independent Party. Maroney had represented the 14th District since 2019.

District 15

Democratic incumbent Joan Hartley was reelected to a 12th term after running unopposed. Hartley was also nominated by the Independent Party. She had represented the 15th District since 2001.

District 16

Republican incumbent Rob Sampson was reelected to a third term after defeating Democratic candidate Christopher Robertson. Sampson was also nominated by the Independent Party. Sampson had represented the 16th District since 2019.

District 17

Democratic incumbent Jorge Cabrera was reelected to a second term after defeating Republican candidate Kathy Hoyt. Cabrera was also nominated by both the Independent Party and the Working Families Party. He had represented the 17th District since 2021.

District 18

Republican incumbent Heather Somers was reelected to a fourth term after defeating Democratic candidate Farouk Rajab. Somers was also nominated by the Independent Party, while Rajab was nominated by the Working Families Party. Somers had represented the 18th District since 2017.

District 19

Democratic incumbent Cathy Osten was reelected to a sixth term after defeating Republican candidate Pietro Camardello. Osten was also nominated by both the Independent Party and the Working Families Party. She had represented the 19th District since 2013.

District 20

Democratic candidate Martha Marx was elected after defeating Republican candidate Jerry Labriola Jr. Marx was also nominated by the Working Families Party, while Labriola was nominated by the Independent Party. This seat was previously held by Republican Paul Formica since 2015.

District 21

Republican incumbent and Senate Minority Leader Kevin C. Kelly was reelected to a seventh term after defeating Democratic candidate Christopher Green. Kelly had represented the 21st District since 2011.

District 22

Democratic incumbent Marilyn Moore was reelected to a fifth term after defeating Libertarian candidate Wilfredo Martinez. Moore had represented the 22nd District since 2015.

District 23

Democratic candidate Herron Gaston was elected after defeating Republican candidate Michael Garrett and Working Families Party candidate Juliemar Ortiz. This seat was previously held by Democrat Dennis Bradley since 2019. He faced felony charges for alleged campaign finance violations committed during his first run in 2018, and was defeated in the primary.

District 24

Democratic incumbent Julie Kushner was reelected to a third term after defeating Republican candidate Michelle Coelho. Kushner was also nominated by the Working Families Party, while Michelle Coelho was nominated by the Independent Party. Kushner had represented the 24th District since 2019.

District 25

Democratic incumbent and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff was reelected to a tenth term after defeating Republican candidate Daniel Miressi and Independent candidate Lisa Brinton. Duff was also nominated by the Working Families Party. He had represented the 25th District since 2005.

District 26

Democratic candidate Ceci Maher was elected after defeating Republican candidate Toni Boucher. Boucher was also nominated by the Independent Party. This seat was previous represented by Democrat Will Haskell since 2019.

District 27

Democratic incumbent Patricia Billie Miller was reelected to a second term after defeating Republican candidate Michael Battinelli. Miller had represented the 27th District since 2021.

District 28

Republican incumbent Tony Hwang was reelected to a fifth term after defeating Democratic candidate Timothy Gavin. Gavin was also nominated by the Independent Party. Hwang had represented the 28th District since 2015.

District 29

Democratic incumbent Mae Flexer was reelected for a fifth term after defeating Republican candidate Susanne Witkowski and Green Party candidate Jean de Smet. Flexer was also nominated by both the Working Families Party and the Independent Party. She had represented the 29th district since 2015.

District 30

Republican candidate Stephen Harding was elected after defeating Democratic candidate Eva Bermudez Zimmerman. Zimmerman was also nominated by both the Working Families Party and the Independent Party. This seat was previously held by Republican Craig Miner since 2015.

District 31

Republican incumbent Henri Martin was reelected to a fifth term after defeating Democratic candidate Greg Hahn. Martin was also nominated by the Independent Party. He had represented the 31st District since 2015.

District 32

Republican incumbent Eric Berthel was reelected to a fourth term after defeating Democratic candidate Jeff Desmarais. Berthel had represented the 32nd District since 2017.

District 33

Democrat incumbent Norm Needleman was reelected to a third term after defeating Republican candidate Brandon Goff. Needleman was also nominated by the Independent Party. He had represented the 33rd District since 2019.

District 34

Republican incumbent Paul Cicarella was reelected to a second term after defeating Green Party candidate David Bedell. Cicarella was also nominated by the Independent Party. He had represented the 34th District since 2021.

District 35

Republican candidate Jeff Gordon was elected after defeating Democratic candidate Lisa Thomas. Thomas was also nominated by the Independent Party and the Working Families Party. This seat was previous held by Republican Dan Champagne since 2019.

District 36

Republican incumbent Ryan Fazio was reelected to a second term after defeating Democratic candidate Trevor Crow, who previously served as Gov. Ned Lamont’s deputy Chief of Staff. Fazio had represented the 36th District since 2021 when he won a special election to finish the term of Democrat Alex Kasser who resigned after her divorce litigation with her former husband Seth Bergstein impacted her ability to do the job.

See also

* 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Connecticut

Notes

References

{{Connecticut State Senators

State Senate
2022
Connecticut State Senate