State Representative (CT-71)

Next Election

Nov 03, 2020

Filing Window

Jan 02, 2020 - Aug 05, 2020

Description

Made up of 151 members, the Connecticut House of Representatives is the lowerchamber of the Connecticut General Assembly. Each member represents a district of about 22,600 residents, serving 2 year terms not subject to term limits. Unlike the other state legislatures, all legislative committees in Connecticut are join committees of the upper and lower house. Such Committees range from an Aging Committee to a Veterans' Affairs Committees. Primary responsibilities of a Representative include: enacting laws, overseeing programs enacted by the executive branch, holding hearings on policies, allocating funds to pay for the daily workings of the state, and redistricting in collaboration with other Representatives and the Senate.

Application Guidelines
To run as an unaffiliated (independent) candidate in Connecticut you must gather signatures from qualified electors to get on the ballot. The first thing a candidate should do is confirm with the Connecticut Secretary of State that their address is located in the district that they looking to run in. Candidates must also obtain an Application for Nominating Petition which can be mailed to the candidate or downloaded from the Connecticut Secretary of State webpage ([email protected]). Additionally, Candidates must follow Connecticut campaign finance laws and filings. Candidates may start collecting signatures on the first business day of the year they are looking to compete in, and the petition must be submitted to the Connecticut Secretary of State office or the town clerk in which they reside 90 days prior to the election by 4pm (August 8, 2018). The amount of signatures can be either one percent of the total amount of votes cast for the same office in the preceding election, or 7,500, whichever is lesser. Running for office in Connecticut can be complicated so we strongly encourage candidates to contact the Secretary of State office as soon as interested in running at (860) 509-6100. Please note: If you plan to run as part of a major or minor party, the filing deadlines are earlier. Please contact your local party headquarters for more details.

Submit application to:
Connecticut Office of the Secretary of State - Elections Division, 30 Trinity Street, Hartford, Connecticut, 06106, US