© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Democrats claim victory in 144th House District of Stamford

Democrats claimed victory Tuesday night in the special election in the 144th House District of Stamford, holding onto a seat that Democrat Caroline Simmons wrested from Republicans in 2014.

Democrat Hubert Douglas Delany outpolled Republican Danny Melchionne for the seat Simmons vacated after her election as mayor in November. Unofficial results showed him winning with nearly 56% of the vote.

Turnout was 18.9%.

Neither candidate has held elective office.

The House has two other vacancies: the 5th District of Hartford and Windsor and the 71st District of Waterbury and Middlebury. Democrat Brandon L. McGee Jr. resigned from the 5th; Republican Anthony J. D’Amelio resigned from the 71st.

Special elections are scheduled for Feb. 22 in the 71st and March 1 in the 5th.

The General Assembly convenes its three-month session on Feb. 9.

Gov. Ned Lamont is expected to deliver his State of the State address to a joint session of the General Assembly on opening day.

His address was recorded last year, a precaution against COVID-19.

House Speaker Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, said Tuesday that Lamont will be invited to make the address in person, as Lamont prefers.

“I’d like to go in person,” Lamont said. “I think it’s appropriate. People now can be vaccinated. They can be tested. I’m asking other people to get back to work — I’d like to do it in person.”

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Connecticut Public’s journalism is made possible, in part by funding from Jeffrey Hoffman and Robert Jaeger.