A lot happened in CT this election cycle. We are just starting to analyze the new makeup and dynamic of our state House and Senate and its impact on environmental priorities. 36 of CTLCV's bipartisan slate of 48 endorsed candidates won their races. We used our Independent Expenditure PAC to target three priority races in the Senate, and to expand our reach to new voters across the state. One third of all candidates running for office sought CTLCV’s endorsement this year.  Many used our endorsement at some level, either as part of their campaign literature, news releases, or public statements. Here are some of the results.

SENATE: 36 seats

• 14 endorsed by CTLCV (10 won)
• 9 Democrats endorsed (5 won: Bye, Gerratana, Kennedy, Duff, Flexer)
• 5 Republicans endorsed (5 won : Witkos, Formica, Kelly, Boucher, Hwang)

The Senate flipped four seats from D to R, changing majority from 21D/15R to a tied 18D/18R. Lieutenant Governor is now a 19th deciding vote that can break ties, making the Governor’s administration a member of the Senate democratic caucus. As such, democratic majority in Senate appears to have retained leadership status. The Senate will have four Republican freshmen: Len Suzio, Heather Somers, Craig Miner, George Logan. The first three 3 defeated our priority candidates. The defeat of top champion Senator Dante Bartolomeo was a terrible blow. But another top champion, Senator Mae Flexer, retained her seat in tough race.  
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HOUSE: 151 seats

• 34 endorsed by CTLCV (26 won)
• 26 Democrats (19 won)
• 8 Republicans (7 won)

​The House flipped 4 seats from Republican to Democrat, and 12 seats from Democrat to Republican, for a net gain of 8 Republican seats. Democratic majority narrowed from 87D/64R to 79D/72R. Defeat of champion incumbent Phil Miller will be sorely felt. But long-time champion Mary Mushinsky retained her seat in a tough race, and Environment Committee co-chair James Albis thankfully retained his seat by 14 votes after a recount. All of our House Republican endorsees except Aundre Bumgardner prevailed, many endorsed for the first time and who will need to be brought up to speed on key issues and asked to help in their chamber. The new House Speaker will be Representative Joe Aresimowicz who earned CTLCV’s endorsement this election and who we hope will advance environmental legislation in the chamber.

Below is a full list of 187 elected legislators who take office in January 2017. Many of them responded to CTLCV’s environmental survey. Click here to view the surveys of the candidates who responded to the environmental survey.

Red denotes CTLCV's endorsement of that candidate during the 2016 election.

SENATE
John Fonfara (D) SD1
Eric Coleman (D) SD2    
Timothy Larson (D) SD3
​Stephen Cassano (D) SD4
Beth Bye (D) SD5
Terry Gerratana (D) SD6
John Kissel (R) SD7        
Kevin Witkos (R) SD8    
Paul Doyle (D) SD9        
Gary Winfield (D) SD10        
Martin Looney (D) SD11
Edward Kennedy (D) SD12
Len Suzio (R) SD13
Gayle Slossberg (D) SD14    
Joan Hartley (D) SD15
Joseph Markley (R) SD16
George Logan (R) SD17
Heather Somers (R) SD18
Catherine Osten (D) SD19
Paul Formica (R) SD20 
Kevin Kelly (R) SD21    
Marilyn Moore (D) SD22    
Edwin Gomes (D) S23
Michael McLachlan (R) SD24    
Bob Duff (D) SD25        
Toni Boucher (R) SD26
Carlo Leone (D) SD27    
Anthony Hwang (R) SD28    
Mae Flexer (D) SD29        
Craig Miner (R) SD30    
Henri Martin (R) SD31        
Robert Kane (R) SD32    
Art Linares (R) SD33
Leonard Fasano (R) SD34
Tony Guglielmo (R) SD35    
L. Scott Frantz (R) SD36

​HOUSE
Matthew Ritter (D) HD1 
William Duff (R) HD2    
Minnie Gonzalez (D) HD3    
Angel Arce (D) HD4
Brandon McGee (D) HD5
Edwin Vargas (D) HD6
Douglas McCrory (D) HD7
Timothy Ackert (R) HD8 
Jason Rojas (D) HD9        
Henry Genga (D) HD10    
Jeffrey Currey (D) HD11    
Kelly Luxenberg (D) HD12
Mark Tweedie (R) HD13
Tom Delnicki (R) HD14
David Baram (D) HD15
John Hampton (D) HD16    
Timothy LeGeyt (R) HD17    
Andrew Fleischmann (D) HD18    
Derek Slap (D) HD19    
Joe Verrengia (D) HD20
Michael Demicco (D) HD21
William Petit (R) HD22
Devin Carney (R) HD23        
Rick Lopes (D) HD24    
Robert Sanchez (D) HD25
Peter Tercyak (D) HD26
Gary Byron (R) HD27    
Russell Morin (D) HD28
Antonio "Tony" Guerrera (D) HD29
Joseph Aresimowicz (D) HD30
Prasad Srinivasan (R) HD31    
Christie Carpino (R) HD32    
Joseph Serra (D) HD33
Melissa Ziobron (R) HD34
Jesse MacLachlan (R) HD35
Robert Siegrist (R) HD36    
Holly Cheeseman (R) HD37        
Kathleen McCarty (R) HD38    
Christian Soto (D) HD39
Christine Conley (D) HD40
Joseph De la Cruz (D) HD41
Mike France (R) HD42
Diana Urban (D) HD43
Anne Dauphinais (R) HD44    
Kevin Skulczyck (R) HD45    
Emmett Riley (D) HD46
Doug Dubitsky (R) HD47
Linda Orange (D) HD48
Susan Johnson (D) HD49
Patrick Boyd (D) HD50
Daniel Rovero (D) HD51
Kurt Vail (R) HD52    
Sam Belsito (R) HD53
Gregory Haddad (D) HD54
Robin Green (R) HD55
Michael Winkler (D) HD56
Christopher Davis (R) HD57
Gregory Stokes (R) HD58
Carol Hall (R) HD59
Scott Storms (R) HD60
Tami Zawistowski (R) HD61
William Simanski (R) HD62
Jay Case (R) HD63    
Brian Ohler (R) HD64    
Michelle Cook (D) HD65
David Wilson (R) HD66
William Buckbee (R) HD67
Eric Berthel (R) HD68    
Arthur O'Neill (R) HD69    
Rosa Rebimbas (R) HD70    
Anthony D'Amelio (R) HD71
Larry Butler (D) HD72
Jeffrey Berger (D) HD73
Stephanie Cummings (R) HD74
Geraldo Reyes (D) HD75
John Piscopo (R) HD76
Cara Pavalock (R) HD77    
Whit Betts (R) HD78        
Christopher Ziogas (D) HD79    
Rob Sampson (R) HD80
John Fusco (R) HD81
Emil "Buddy" Altobello (D) HD82    
Catherine Abercrombie (D) HD83
Hilda Santiago (D) HD84
Mary Mushinsky (D) HD85
Vincent Candelora (R) HD86
David Yaccarino (R) HD87    
Joshua Elliott (D) HD88
Lezlye Zupkus (R) H89    
Craig Fishbein (R) HD90    
Michael D'Agostino (D) HD91
Patricia Dillon (D) HD92
Toni Walker (D) HD93
Robyn Porter (D) HD94
Juan Candelaria (D) HD95
Roland Lemar (D) HD96    
Alphonse Paolillo (D) HD97    
Sean Scanlon (D) HD98    
James Albis (D) HD99    
Matthew Lesser (D) HD100
Noreen Kokoruda (R) HD101
Lonnie Reed (D) HD102
Liz Linehan (D) HD103        
Linda Gentile (D) HD104
Nicole Klarides-Ditria (R) HD105
Mitch Bolinsky (R) HD106
Stephen Harding (R) HD107
Richard Smith (R) HD108
David Arconti (D) HD109
Bob Godfrey (D) HD110
John Frey (R) HD111
JP Sredzinski (R) HD112
Jason Perillo (R) HD113        
Themis Klarides (R) HD114
Stephen Dargan (D) HD115
Michael DiMassa (D) HD116
Charles Ferraro (R) HD117
Kim Rose (D) HD118
Pam Staneski (R) HD119
Laura Hoydick (R) HD120
Joseph Gresko (D) HD121
Ben McGorty (R) HD122
David Rutigliano (R) HD123    
Andre Baker (D) HD124    
Thomas O'Dea (R) HD125
Charlie Stallworth (D) HD126
John (Jack) Hennessy (D) H127    
Christopher Rosario (D) HD128        
Steven Stafstrom (D) HD129
Ezequiel Santiago (D) HD130
David Labriola (R) HD131
Brenda Kupchick (R) HD132
Cristin McCarthy Vahey (D) HD133
Laura Devlin (R) HD134
Adam Dunsby (R) HD135
Jonathan Steinberg (D) HD136    
Chris Perone (D) HD137    
Michael Ferguson (R) HD138
Kevin Ryan (D) HD139
Bruce Morris (D) HD140
Terrie Wood (R) HD141
Fred Wilms (R) HD142
Gail Lavielle (R) HD143
Caroline Simmons (D) HD144
Patricia Billie Miller (D) HD145
Terry Adams (D) HD146
William Tong (D) HD147
Daniel Fox (D) HD148
Livvy Floren (R) HD149
Mike Bocchino (R) HD150
Fred Camillo (R) HD151

LOOKING AHEAD
The outcome this year was the loss of some key people swept out with the anti-incumbent backlash. This may have been due more to the state's fiscal mess than it was driven by the Presidential race or any other single issue. In sum, we need to follow up with legislators on both sides of the aisle to ensure they have the vision and willpower to shepherd our state forward on environmental issues. Many freshmen in both chambers are untested on their concern for the environment. We must ensure they are informed about important issues as they grapple with their new responsibilities and look for reliable sources to guide them. Now more than ever, we need to have more consistent communications with our friends in office to keep environmental issues part of the main stream discussion at the state legislature. CTLCV members will be an essential part of this effort, so be sure to check back for information on upcoming legislation.

We have our work cut out for us!

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The 2016 election information on this website is paid for by the CTLCV Political Action Committee. This message was made independent of any candidate or political party. Contributions to the CTLCV PAC were made by CTLCV, Inc., League of Conservation Voters, Inc., and David Bingham. Additional information about the CTLCV PAC may be found on the State Elections Enforcement Commission's internet website. ​