Date Set For Special Election In Fairfield

FAIRFIELD, CT — The special election to fill Fairfield First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick’s vacant seat in the Connecticut House of Representatives will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 14, Gov. Ned Lamont announced Friday. Kupchick, a Republican, resigned from her seat in the 132nd District after winning election as Fairfield First Selectwoman earlier this month.

Lamont also announced that a special election will take place the same day for the 48th Assembly District, which consists of portions of Colchester, Lebanon, Mansfield, and Windham. The seat was most recently held by Linda Orange, who passed away on Nov. 20. Under state law, the governor is required to issue a writ of special election within 10 days of a vacancy in the General Assembly and a special election must be held exactly 46 days after the date the writ was issued. Lamont issued the writs on Friday.

Jennifer Leeper received the Fairfield Democratic Town Committee's unanimous endorsement earlier this week to run for Kupchick’s vacant seat in the special election. Leeper, a member of the Board of Education since 2017, had faced a Democrat opponent in activist Caitlin Clarkson Pereira.

Pereira, who ran against Kupchick for the seat in 2018, told committee members that she would support Leeper.

The Republican Town Committee will hold its endorsement meeting Dec. 2. So far, only one Republican has officially announced a campaign to seek the seat: Brian Farnen, a Representative Town Meeting member for District 9 and general counsel for the Connecticut Green Bank. Kupchick, who has represented the 132nd District since 2011, has said she supports Farnen's candidacy.