CT WFP flips six Republican seats, wins three from Democrats

Connecticut’s Working Families Party Flips Six Republican Seats, Reshapes State Legislature

Connecticut's political position just changed. The Connecticut Working Families Party, in a single election night, flipped six Republican-held seats and elected champions to three seats previously held by moderate Democrats, fundamentally altering the balance of power in the state’s General Assembly.

The scale of the shift is the story here. The results show a rejection of the status quo, where Republicans spent years voting against a $15 minimum wage and paid sick days, while the Moderate Caucus inside the Democratic majority spent those same years protecting the charter lobby and corporate donors.

A Decisive Night at the Ballot Box

The wins were both broad and strategic. Several races remain too close to call. This victory builds on the party’s momentum from August, when they swept all five of their Democratic state legislative primaries.

The victories include the story of Moise Carelus in HD-31. The WFP organized in Glastonbury for months before Carelus took Rep. Jill Barry’s caucus endorsement and won the August primary, defeating Barry, who had voted against paid family and medical leave and paid sick time. After losing, Barry switched parties and ran against Carelus as a Republican. Incumbent champions also held seats Republicans targeted. Housing Committee Chair Martha Marx won a third term, and Reps.

“Tonight we changed the math.”