Connecticut General Assembly Caucuses Select Leaders Following General Elections

Following the general elections, Connecticut’s state legislative caucuses have selected new leaders to help guide the state’s legislative agenda and priorities in the upcoming session. Each of the Connecticut General Assembly’s four caucuses selected their new leaders over the last week.

State Senate

Senator Bob Duff and Senator Gary Winfield Secure Top Leadership Posts in the Senate

Connecticut Senate Democrats chose Senator Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) and Senator Gary Winfield (D-New Haven) as Senate president pro tempore and majority leader, respectively. Sen. Duff replaces current Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven), who did not seek reelection. Sen. Winfield replaces current Majority Leader Bob Duff. The 25^th Senate District, represented by Sen. Duff, includes Norwalk and Darien. The 10^th Senate District, represented by Sen. Winfield, includes New Haven and West Haven. Senators Duff and Winfield will lead a Senate Democratic Caucus that will include 33 of the 36 members of the state senate, providing these leaders with significant power over the state legislature’s policy agenda come January and throughout the session.

New Senate Republican Leadership

Connecticut Senate Republicans met late last week to pick a caucus leader after the outcome of one remaining Senate election was determined. The three-person Senate Republican Caucus will be led by State Senator Rob Sampson (R-Wolcott). First elected to the Senate in 2018, Sen. Sampson represents residents of the 16^th Senate District, which includes Cheshire, Prospect, Southington, Waterbury, and Wolcott. Previously, Sen. Sampson served four terms in the Connecticut House of Representatives, representing the 80^th House District from 2011 to 2018.

Current Senate Republican Leader Stephen Harding (R-Brookfield) was defeated in his bid for reelection for the 30^th Senate District, which includes the towns of Bethlehem, Brookfield, Canaan, Cornwall, Goshen, Kent, Litchfield, Morris, New Fairfield, New Milford, North Canaan, Salisbury, Sharon, Sherman, Torrington, Warren, Washington, and Winchester.

Connecticut House of Representatives

Matt Ritter and Vincent Candelora Selected To Lead Respective House Caucuses

Speaker of the House Matt Ritter (D-Hartford) was selected to return for an unprecedented fourth term to the top leadership position in the House. Majority Leader Jason Rojas (D-East Hartford) will once again serve as the second highest ranking member in the House Democratic Caucus. The 1^st House District, represented by Rep. Ritter, includes the western part of the city of Hartford. The 9^th House District, represented by Rep. Rojas, includes East Hartford and a portion of Manchester.

The members of the House Republican Caucus picked House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora (R-North Branford) to return to the position. First elected in 2006, Rep. Candelora enters his fourth term as leader and has long been part of the Republican Caucus leadership team. The 86^th House District, represented by Rep. Candelora, includes North Branford, Durham, Guilford, and Wallingford.

House Democrats hold a 116-35 majority.

Legislative Committees

In the coming weeks, legislative committee and other General Assembly leadership positions will be announced. With several committee chairs or ranking members not returning from last year, and with the changes in Senate leadership, we expect new committee leadership in several key committees of interest to hospitals, health systems, and other providers.

All members of the House and Senate will formally elect each chamber’s respective leaders on the first day of the 2027 Legislative Session, Wednesday, January 6.

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