Veteran Connecticut Republicans Cede Control of State Legislature to Democrats
Longtime state officials lost their seats after citing rising Democratic registration and voter fatigue, shifting the General Assembly to a 116-35 Democratic majority.
By Riya Zhao ·
Connecticut’s state government shifted dramatically on Tuesday as veteran Republicans lost their seats to Democrats. The changes will reduce the GOP minority in the Senate from 25-11 to 33-3 for the next session. The House of Representatives will see its Democratic majority expand from 102-49 to 116-35.
Lawmakers attributed the losses to rising Democratic registration totals and a challenging political climate. State Sen. Jason Perillo of Shelton noted that voters frequently told him they had supported him for years but could not do so this time. Perillo, who won a special election in 2025 after serving in the House for more than 17 years, lost his 21st District seat to Stratford Democrat Carolann Reid.
State Sen. John Kissel of Enfield lost his 7th District seat after serving 17 terms. He noted that the district had a two-to-one registration advantage for Democrats. Kissel lost to David Kiner by a margin of 4,334 votes, with Kiner receiving 22,113 votes and Kissel 17,779. Campaign ads also targeted Kissel over his part-time legal work for utility company Eversource.
Rep. Ben McGorty of the 122nd District lost to Democrat Mandy Kilmartin by 507 votes. The final tally was 5,649 for Kilmartin and 5,142 for McGorty. McGorty, a Shelton resident and fire marshal, served in the General Assembly for a dozen years. He stated that Republicans did not come out to vote despite his efforts to knock on doors in Stratford and Trumbull.
State Rep. Greg Howard of Stonington lost his 43rd District seat to a Democrat. Howard, a police officer and ranking Republican on the Public Safety and Security Committee, said the loss was a surprise. He noted that he worked hard for the district, which includes North Stonington and Ledyard.
The defeated officials cited the opportunity to return to full-time careers as a positive aspect of their departures. Perillo, a former hospital administrator, recently started a role with the American Trauma Society representing 400 hospital members. Howard plans to retire from the police department in a few months and spend more time with his high school senior son. McGorty said he could now travel to see his children in Arizona and Georgia without missing legislative meetings.
