Special elections set for today

They can’t negate the large Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, but voters in three state Senate and two House districts on Tuesday will decide whether to retain the support they gave Democratic candidates in November.

The special elections, with polls open from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m., will pick new senators representing East Hartford, West Hartford and New Britain, as well as representatives for House seats in New London and East Haven.

Only a fraction of those who voted in November are expected to cast ballots. “Every vote counts in every election, but particularly in lower turnout elections like tomorrow’s special elections,” Secretary of the State Denise Merrill said Monday. “Please get out and vote and make your voice heard.”

Not including the vacancies, Democrats hold a 92-49 majority in the House and a 23-13 edge in the Senate. A contested race remains for Democratic Rep. Phil Young’s seat for Stratford’s 120th District House seat, following a mixed report from a House committee that is split along party lines on whether a new election should be held.

The vacancies occurred after veteran lawmakers Tim Larson, Beth Bye, Terry Gerratana, Chris Soto, James Albis, accepted jobs, with Gov. Ned Lamont.

In the 3rd Senate District, Democrat Saud Anwar and Republican Sarah A. Muska are vying for Larson’s East Hartfordcentric seat.

The 5th District has a four-way race for Bye’s vacancy, with state Rep. Derek Slap of West Hartford, contesting Republican Bill Wadsworth of Farmington, as well as Independent Jeffrey Przech and Mark Stewart Greenstein of the Amigo Constitution Liberty Party.

In New Britain’s 5th Senate District, Democrat Rick Lopes is also crossendorsed by the Working Family Party. Republican Gennaro Bizzarro is the Republican.

In the House races, Anthony Nolan is the Democratic candidate for the New London seat, with Republican Kat Goulart cross-endorsed by the Independent Party. Mimi Martinez is the Green Party candidate, while Jason Catala is a petitioning candidate.

In East Haven, Josh Balter has the Democratic and Working Families lines on the ballot, while Joseph Zullo, the town attorney, is on the Republican and Independent Party lines.

Lamont appointed Larson to lead the Office of Higher Education. Bye will head the state Office of Early Childhood. Gerratana is an adviser in the Office of Health Strategy. Soto is Lamont’s legislative affairs director. Albis is a senior adviser to the commissioner of energy and environmental protection.