As early voting continues, Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas seeks reelection on three ballot lines, backed by labor, education, reproductive rights, conservation and community groups.
HARTFORD, Conn., Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- As Connecticut voters head to the polls for the first week of early voting, Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas appears on three lines of the November ballot: the Democratic Party, the Independent Party of Connecticut and the Working Families Party.
A broad coalition of labor unions, educators, conservation groups, reproductive rights organizations and community advocates backs her candidacy.
"I'm not in politics, I'm in governance," said Secretary Thomas. "I've protected your vote, lowered fees for business owners and fought for new laws that let my office investigate when fraudsters hijack a Connecticut business. That's why this coalition stands with me. And the work isn't done. Next, I will continue protecting your personal voting information and our elections from federal overreach, while focusing on AI-powered scams targeting Connecticut businesses and building more efficient election processes. Early voting is open now. Make a plan, and I hope you will support me on any of my three ballot lines so I can continue delivering for you."
Labor. The people who protect Connecticut's workers are supporting the official who protects their vote and raises awareness of labor trafficking. Endorsing unions include the Connecticut AFL-CIO, AFSCME Council 4, Connecticut Teamsters, the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut, the Connecticut Laborers' District Council and the Connecticut State Building Trades Council.
Education. The people who teach Connecticut's students are supporting the official who expanded civic education for students and adults, from free online civics courses to training college students as poll workers. Endorsing unions include AFT Connecticut, the Connecticut Education Association and CSU-AAUP.
Reproductive freedom and women's leadership. Organizations that champion women's rights and work to elect women to office are backing the first Black person elected Connecticut's Secretary of the State. EMILYs List, Higher Heights for America PAC, Planned Parenthood Votes! Connecticut, Reproductive Equity Now and Connecticut NOW have endorsed her reelection.
Community and civic organizations. Groups that bring Connecticut residents into civic life are backing the official who brings government to the people, from civics conversations in barbershops to a free civics course now available in Spanish. Connecticut Citizen Action Group (CCAG), the Connecticut Hispanic Democratic Caucus and College Democrats of Connecticut have endorsed Secretary Thomas.
Conservation. Environmental groups, the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters and Sierra Club Connecticut, have endorsed Secretary Thomas.
Secretary Thomas has also earned the Moms Demand Action Candidate of Distinction.
Early Voting Runs Through Sunday, Nov. 1
Early voting is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Sunday, Nov. 1, with extended hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27 and Thursday, Oct. 29. There is no early voting on Monday, Nov. 2.
Every town has at least one early voting location. Voters can find their early voting location at MyVote.CT.gov or by contacting their town's registrar of voters. Eligible residents who are not yet registered can register and vote the same day during early voting or on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3.
About Stephanie Thomas
Stephanie Thomas is Connecticut's 75th Secretary of the State and the first Black person elected to the office. Since taking office in 2023, she has secured $20 million to modernize Connecticut's election equipment, led the rollout of early in-person voting, expanded civic education through initiatives such as the Power of Civics platform and launched Be a Light, making Connecticut the first state in the Northeast to help businesses identify, report and prevent human trafficking.
Thomas is running for reelection in 2026. She serves on the Executive Board of the National Association of Secretaries of State and testified before Congress in 2025 about balancing voter access with election security.
Before becoming secretary, Thomas represented Norwalk, Wilton and Westport in the state legislature. She also ran a small business and spent nearly 30 years advising nonprofit organizations on strategy and fundraising.
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