Who plans to run to represent Greenwich in 2024
GREENWICH — Greenwich voters will head to the polls again this fall to pick a new president, plus local representatives for the Connecticut General Assembly.
Four people represent Greenwich at the state Capitol — three house representatives and one state senator. Candidates who run in the upcoming Nov. 5 election for these positions will vie for a two-year term.
The state senate position is held by a Republican, Sen. Ryan Fazio, but the three house seats are held by Democrats.
Here’s what to know about the races so far.
House District 149
Rep. Rachel Khanna won her first term in the 149th District in 2022 and she is up for reelection this fall if she chooses to run again.
Khanna, a Democrat, worked in marketing. She created her own organic meal delivery service in 2007 and she published two cookbooks before entering politics. She serves on the Appropriations, Government Administration and Elections and Transportation Committees in Hartford.
Khanna said she is focused on the upcoming legislative session, which starts in February, and that she will have more information to share about the race in the spring. No one has filed candidate paperwork with the state to run for the 149th district.
The 149th district covers the northern end of Greenwich and part of northwest Stamford. Khanna defeated incumbent Republican Kimberly Fiorello in a close race last cycle.
No Republican has announced plans to run for the seat yet.
House District 150
Rep. Stephen Meskers was first elected in 2018 and he won his third term in 2022 after defeating Republican Ed Lopez. He said he would make a decision about running again after this year’s legislative session is done.
Meskers, a Democrat, worked in corporate lending, bankruptcy and international bond sales for 35 years before politics. He is the chair of the Commerce Committee in Hartford and he also serves on the Energy and Technology, Finance, Revenue and Bonding and Insurance and Real Estate Committees.
The 150th district tracks along Greenwich’s coastline and covers most of the town south of the Merritt Park
way.
No Republican has announced plans to run for the seat yet and no one has filed candidate paperwork with the state to run for the 150th district.
House District 151
Rep. Hector Arzeno won a historic race in 2022 after defeating former Board of Education chair Peter Sherr to become the first Democrat to ever hold the district.
Arzeno, who worked in international finance for four decades, will seek a second term in the district later this year. He filed candidate paperwork with the state in December and said he is seeking another term this fall.
Arzeno serves on the Education, Environment and Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committees.
The 151th district covers Cos Cob and other parts of central Greenwich. First Selectman Fred Camillo held the seat for many years before he left the state legislature to run for town office.
No Republican has announced plans to run for the seat yet and only Arzeno has filed candidate paperwork with the state to run for the 151th district.
Senate District 36
Sen. Ryan Fazio first won a special election in 2021 and earned a full term in the district after winning again in 2022.
Fazio defeated Democrat Trevor Crow in 2022, but the race was very close and was decided after a recount.
Fazio is the ranking senator on the legislature’s Energy and Technology Committee and Planning and Development Committee. Fazio works in finance, specifically a “growth equity firm” according to his website. The 36th district covers all of Greenwich, the northern end of Stamford and most of New Canaan.
Fazio said he loves his job as a state senator and that he is focused on the upcoming legislative session. He said he will make an announcement about his reelection plans in the coming months.
The upcoming race may be a rematch as Crow filed candidate paperwork with the state in December. Crow said her message resonated with voters last cycle, as evidenced by the narrow margin of defeat, and she said she’s excited to make her pitch to voters again in the fall.
Crow may not be the only Democrat looking for the nomination.
Nick Simmons, current deputy chief of staff to Gov. Ned Lamont and brother of Stamford mayor Caroline Simmons, said he is considering a run for the office, though he has not officially announced anything and has not filed candidate paperwork yet.
Simmons, who grew up in Greenwich, worked with the Biden Administration to coordinate how schools would reopen in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. He returned to the Lamont administration in 2023.