At the State level, officials who hold offices in the executive branch serve the entire state while those in the legislative branch serve smaller districts. In Connecticut, there are six elected officials who hold statewide office in the executive branch including the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, treasurer, comptroller, and the secretary of the state. In the Connecticut General Assembly, there are 36 senators and 151 representatives.
When do I vote in state elections?
Your state representative and state senator are up for reelection every two years but other statewide candidates like Governor and Lieutenant Governor are elected ever four years. These elections occur in even numbered years.
Why do state elections matter?
State elections matter because your state representative and state senator get to vote on state laws and the state budget. The Governor also often sets the policy priorities for a state and can take actions through Executive Orders. For example, during the coronavirus pandemic, most of the state regulations around group gatherings, social distancing, and business closures were determined by Governor Ned Lamont’s Executive Orders.
Keeping Kids Safe and Healthy
Accidents are the number one cause of childhood death. Many laws related to firearm safety, teen driving laws, and pedestrian safety are voted on in the state legislature. If you have ideas for policies that may keep kids safer you should reach out and discuss them with your state legislators.
Supporting Medicaid
At Connecticut Children’s, over half of our patients rely on Medicaid as their health insurer. State regulators determine how much state Medicaid dollars will reimburse providers for care. States also have authority to expand or shrink Medicaid eligibility and to determine the services and procedures Medicaid covers.
Funding For Schools, Nonprofits, and Social Services
The State of Connecticut provides funding for many programs that support youth. Although schools are largely funded by local (not state) property taxes, the state does provide Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grants to towns for their schools. Additionally, many nonprofits that benefit children, be they prevention or afterschool programs, receive significant state funding.