L to R: Amy Romano, Republican nominee, and Michael Duncan, Democratic nominee. Credit to CT Post
Brief Overview
Gov. Ned Lamont has called for another special election on April 22nd. This special election will fill the vacancy left by the winner of the Feb 25th special election for the 21st State Senate district won by former Rep. Jason Perillo (R-Shelton).
113th State House Seat District Information
The 113th State House seat has long been centered around parts of Shelton. This Republican stronghold has not had many changes in redistricting, only minor changes within Shelton at times since the 70s. State Senator Jason Perillo has held the seat since his victory in a 2007 special election. He has never faced a difficult re-election, winning more than 64% in all his elections.
Before his 2007 special election, the seat was held by the late Richard Belden (R-Shelton), who held the seat for more than 32 years after winning it in the 1974 election. He also never faced a difficult re-election bid, with his lowest victory percentage being his first in 1974 at 54.8%. Belden and Perillo faced multiple re-election campaigns unopposed, with Perillo notably being unopposed in 2022 and 2024.
Analyzing CT Secretary of State Precinct Data, I assessed how the district would have voted in the 2024 Presidential Election. Donald Trump won the district, 54.66% to Kamala Harris’ 43.90%. Similar to the special election in the 21st state senate election last month, the GOP is much stronger downballot in this region of Connecticut. Though special elections around the country, notably in Iowa, have led to large Democratic overperformances, this region does not have a similar election history, with Republicans having held this area for decades, especially at the local level.
The district is likely to remain in Republican control.
Election breakdown at the presidential level for the 2024 election sorted by precinct in Shelton.
113th State House Candidates
In the 113th State House seat, the Republican nominee will be Shelton Board of Education Chairwoman Amy Romano, who will race off against Democratic nominee personal care manager Michael Duncan.
Amy Romano has six years of experience on the Shelton Board of Education. She is the chairwoman of the committee for the 2023-2025 term. She has worked in the real estate, business development, and construction industries for the past two decades. A longtime Shelton resident, her vision includes focusing on issues such as affordability, lower electric rates, investing in education, and standing up for seniors.
Michael Duncan is a senior manager at Edgewell Personal Care. Since March 2021, Duncan has been a commissioner of the Shelton Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA). Duncan lost a 2021 election bid for a position on the Shelton Alderboard in District 3, coming in 4th place. Duncan’s focuses in his run for state representative include lower taxes, affordable utility bills, and better job opportunities for his constituents