ASK THE REGISTRAR — STRATFORD, CT.
By Registrar Of Voters James Simon (D).
Q: Why is there a special election in Stratford on February 25, 2025?
A: State Senator Kevin Kelly, who represents about 90% of Stratford, was unopposed for reelection on November 5, but declined to get sworn in. Instead, the veteran Republican accepted a state judgeship. So the seat is vacant and, under state law, a Special Election must be held. It is set for Tuesday February 25. The Kelly district covers most of Stratford, all of Shelton, plus parts of Seymour and Monroe.
Q: Who is running?
The vacant state Senate seat is the only office on the ballot. Republicans from the four towns have chosen State Rep. Jason Perillo of Shelton, to be their candidate, while the Democrats chose Stratford Town Councilor Anthony Afriyie, who currently represents the town’s Fifth District (Nichols School). You should be able to find information about both candidates through an Internet search of their names.
Q. How do I know if I live in state Senate District 21 and I am eligible to vote?
A: The 35,000 registered voters in Stratford are all eligible, except for 73 voters registered in District 1 (Lordship School), 2,117 voters in D3 (Johnson Academy), and 816 voters in D4 (Franklin School). Those voters are all in state Senate District 23.
If you live in Districts 1, 3 and 4, you can e-mail us at [email protected] and we can check your status. Online, you can check for yourself by going to https://portaldir.ct.gov/sots/LookUp.aspx and supplying your name, address, town and birthdate. At the bottom of the screen, you will get your polling location, followed by your state Assembly District number and then the state Senate District number. For example, my own information says:
| Polling Location Address / |
| State: Chapel Street School 120 21 |
So, I vote at Chapel Street School. My state Assembly District is 120. My state Senate district is 21, so I am eligible to vote in the Special Election. (Yes, it is very cumbersome…)
Q. Where do I vote?
A: All 10 of our normal polling locations at schools will be open, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. There will be four days of Early Voting available at the Baldwin Center on Thursday through Sunday, February 20-23, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Absentee ballots are available through the Town Clerk [email protected]).
There are still limitations on using absentee ballots in Connecticut, such as you needing to be out of town for the election, or ill, or be in the military. Connecticut voters approved a referendum in 2024 to remove the restrictions, but the revised policy will not be in effect for this election.
Q. Which political party usually represents this state Senate district?
A: The district is still remembered as the long-time political home of Republican George “Doc” Gunther of Stratford, who is the longest-serving state legislator in Connecticut history. Gunther represented the district from 1966 to 2006. When Gunther retired in 2006, he was replaced by his protégé and former campaign manager, Republican Dan Debicella from Shelton. Stratford’s Kevin Kelly, a Republican, held the seat from 2011 to 2025.
In recent years, when the Democrats put forward a candidate from Stratford, that candidate twice carried the town, but then lost the overall state Senate election because of the Republican registration edge in rest of the district. Having an “open” seat with no incumbent in this Special Election makes this a more attractive race for candidates.
ELECTION QUESTIONS? SEND THEM TO:
STRATFORD REGISTRAR JAMES SIMON
This is not an official publication of the Town of Stratford. (Vol. 5, No. 1; January 2025)
James Simon
Registrar of Voters (D)
Town of Stratford, 2725 Main St.
Stratford CT 06615
203 385 4049; [email protected]
- To register to vote; change your name, address and/or party affiliation; or enroll in a political party: https://voterregistration.ct.gov/OLVR
- To check on your registration or voting location: https://portaldir.ct.gov/sots/LookUp.aspx
- Our ROV website for additional information: http://www.townofstratford.com/content/39832/39846/39935/default.aspx
- Apply for an absentee ballot: Connecticut Online Absentee Ballot Request Portal
Stratford Crier Editor’s Comment: Kelly will not serve his eighth two-year term which is why there is a Special Election. Instead, the former leader of the Republican senators has made a deal to become a judge. The residents of the 21st Senate District will go without representation in the legislature’s upper chamber for the next two months. The district is comprised of Shelton, and parts of Monroe, Seymour, and Stratford,
Kelly, who is in his mid-60s, will receive a pension that is equal to 2/3 of his annual salary when he reaches 70. That would be $135,000 a year now and will likely increase. Kelly’s 12 years as an investigator at the Department of Social Services long ago and his 14 years in the Senate would not entitle him to a pension close to what a Superior Court judge receives at the age of 70.
