L to R: Tony Afriyie, Democratic nominee, and Jason Perillo, Republican nominee. Source: Contributed photos / Tony for State Senate & Jason Perillo’s LinkedIn page/ CTNewsJunkie

As briefly mentioned in our previous post on Feb 8th, two special elections will occur on February 25th.

Brief Overview

On January 10th, Governor Ned Lamont announced two special elections for 21st State Senate Seat vacated by former State Senator Kevin Kelly (R-Stratford). Governor Lamont nominated Kelly to a Superior Court judgeship. The additional vacancy is in the 40th State House Seat, vacated by former State Rep. Christine Conley (D-Groton). She will advance for a nomination to the state’s Workers’ Compensation Commission.

21st State Senate Seat District Information

The 21st State Senate Seat has been a long-time Republican stronghold. It has remained in GOP hands since 1966. It was held by Republican George “Doc” Gunther of Stratford for 50 years from 1967 to his retirement in 2007. He is the longest-serving state legislator in Connecticut history. Dan Debicella served the district from 2007 to 2011, leaving for an unsuccessful run for Congress where he lost to Connecticut 4th District Rep. Jim Himes 47-53, despite the GOP wave in 2010. Kelly held the district from 2011 till his resignation earlier this year. The district covers most of Stratford, all of Shelton, plus parts of Seymour and Monroe.

Analyzing CT Secretary of State Precinct Data, I assessed how the district would have voted in the 2024 Presidential Election. Despite the GOP dominance of the district in the State Senate, The results show a nearly even split, with Trump narrowly carrying the district 49.6% to Harris’ 49.06%.

Kevin Kelly was the only state senator in Connecticut unopposed in the 2024 election. In 2022, Kelly won comfortably 57-41 against his Democratic opponent Christopher Green. The district is expected to remain in Republican control.

The 50-50 split of the district, a low-turnout election, and if the district’s Democratic base is motivated by the first few weeks of the Trump administration could lead to the Democratic nominee winning the seat. However, the Republican down-ballot dominance of this region should not be underestimated.

21st State Senate Candidates

In the 21st State Senate Seat, The Republican nominee will be State Rep. Jason Perillo (R-Shelton) who will face off against the Democratic nominee Stratford Town Councilor Anthony Afriyie.

State Rep. Jason Perillo (R-Shelton) has represented the 113th State House District since 2007. Since 2020, he has served as the Deputy House Republican Leader. He has held previous positions as an Assistant House Republican Leader and as House Republican Whip. Perillo, a lifelong Shelton resident, has served on various local boards and committees. He is a former chief of Echo Hose Ambulance, an emergency ambulance provider for Shelton, and has been volunteering since 1999. Perillo holds a bachelor’s from Georgetown, an MBA from Boston College, and an MPA from Harvard.

Anthony ‘Tony’ Afriyie, has served as Stratford Town Councilor in Stratford’s 5th District since 2023. He was born and raised in the Bronx, New York where he lived with his parents who immigrated to the United States from Ghana in 1997. The 26-year-old has lived in Stratford since 2006, where he attended local schools graduating from Stratford High in 2015. He works as a staffer for longtime 3rd District Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and has just completed his Masters in Public Administration, from Western Connecticut in 2024. Afriyie recently had an interview with the Stamford Crier which can be found here. He has noted the need for community development and the importance of early childhood education.

40th State House Seat District Information

State Rep. Christine Conley has served the 40th State House district since 2017, before resigning earlier this year. Unlike the 21st State Senate, the district does not enjoy a 50-year Democratic dominance, as during the 2014 Republican Midterm Wave, former State Rep. John F Scott won the seat against the then 6-term Democratic incumbent Edward Moukawsher. Scott would only hold the seat for one term before being beaten by Conley. The district is comprised of parts of both Groton and New London.

Analyzing CT Secretary of State Precinct Data, I assessed how the district would have voted in the 2024 Presidential Election. It is solidly Democratic voting for Kamala Harris by a 60-38 margin. The seat is widely expected to remain in Democratic hands.

Conley won in 2024 by a wider 66-34 spread against her Republican opponent Susan Deane-Shinbrot. She won by an even wider 82-18 victory against Independent Lauren Gauthier in 2022.

40th State House Seat Candidates

L to R: Republican candidate Robert Boris and Democratic candidate Dan Gaiewski. Source: Contributed photos / Campaign Facebook Pages/ CTNewsJunkie

In the 40th State House Seat, The Democratic nominee will be Groton City Councilman Dan Gaiewski. He will face off against the Republican nominee Robert Boris, the Groton Economic Development Commission Chairman.

Dan Gaiewski was appointed to Groton Town Council in August 2023 and won re-election later that year during the state’s municipal elections. He graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in 2023 with a BA in American Studies and Government. He has interned for 2nd District House Rep. Joe Courtney and Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz. Gaiewski notes the importance of bringing more money back to the district, delivering more housing for the district, and lowering costs for families. His current position is in constituent services for the state Legislature. Two weeks ago, Gaiewki was interviewed on the show Born Political hosted by Joe de la Cruz, which can be found here.

Robert “Bob” Boris holds positions as Groton SEAT Representative, Vice Chairman of the City Planning and Zoning Board, Chairman of the Mystic Chamber Foundation, and President of Groton Rotary. He has decades of experience as tech entrepreneur leading his family’s information database company, Command Technology Inc. Boris notes the importance of affordability, economic development, and advocating for responsible oversight. Last Week, Boris was interviewed on the show CITY FOCUS hosted by Marty Olsen, which can be found here.