HARTFORD, Conn. — Everyone’s eyes are focused on November’s election. Before it happens, Connecticut's primary election on Aug. 13 must come first.
The U.S. Vote Foundation says, “In primary elections, a party selects a candidate for a General Election, and you vote for a candidate who will be nominated to be on a ballot.”
Before Nov. 5 arrives, registered voters can decide who makes it to the general election. But what offices are on the ballot and who’s running? Here’s your guide to the candidates and resources for their policies:
These ** next to name means “they are the endorsed candidate by their respective Democratic Town Committee or Republican Town Committee,” according to Connecticut’s Secretary of State.
U.S. Senate
Republican
Whoever wins the primary election will run against Incumbent Sen. Chris Murphy in the November general election. Connecticut’s other senator, Richard Blumenthal, is not up for re-election until 2028.
Beacon Falls first selectman **Gerry Smith will be on the ballot as the party-endorsed candidate. He has highlighted immigration enforcement and the opioid crisis as some of the issues he's focused on, along with driving down energy costs.
Smith is competing with Matthew M. Corey, a Manchester businessman pushing for business-friendly representation in Congress.
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U.S. House of Representatives
Republican
Whoever wins the primary election will run against Incumbent U.S. Representative Jim Himes (D-CT) in the November general election.
Himes has been in office since 2009 and has made a name for himself on Capitol Hill in foreign affairs, U.S. intelligence and financial policy.
As far as the Republican contest, Greenwich's Michael Goldstein is a doctor and lawyer running as a “physician with a vision.” He’s focused mostly on healthcare policy and costs.
Fairfield's **Bob MacGuffie is the leader of Connecticut’s Tea Party, a conservative activist and a self-published author. He wants to cut down on spending and national debt and said he is against Himes’ votes for foreign aid.
The representative of District 4 serves Bridgeport | Darien | Easton | Fairfield | Greenwich | Monroe | New Canaan | Norwalk | Oxford | Redding | Ridgefield | Shelton | Stamford | Trumbull | Weston | Westport | Wilton.
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Connecticut State Senate
Republican
District 29 - Serves the following communities: Brooklyn, Canterbury, Killingly, Mansfield, Pomfret, Putnam, Scotland, Thompson and Windham.
Democrat
District 2 -- Serves the following communities: Bloomfield, Hartford and Windsor.
District 7 -- Serves the following communities: East Granby, Enfield, Granby, Somers, Suffield, Windsor and Windsor Locks.
District 22 -- Serves the following communities: Bridgeport, Monroe and Trumbull.
District 23 -- Serves the following communities: Bridgeport and Stratford.
Ernest E. Newton III
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Connecticut House of Representatives
Republican
District 69 -- Serves the following communities: Bridgewater, Roxbury, Southbury and Washington.
Edwin N. Cady
Democrat
District 15 -- Serves the following communities: Bloomfield and Windsor.
**Jennifer A. Marshall-Nealy
District 26 -- Serves the following communities: New Britain.
**David (Dave) DeFronzo
District 94 -- Serves the following communities: Hamden and New Haven.
**Steven B. Winter
District 124 -- Serves the following communities: Bridgeport.
Andre Baker Jr. (Incumbent)
**Eneida Martinez
As more information is made available, this article will be updated accordingly.
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Emily McGlynn is a producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at emcglynn@fox61.com
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