In a game-changing victory for conservatives, Republican Amy Romano won a special election in the deep blue state of Connecticut and became a state representative, filling the vacant seat in the 113th district as the replacement for former Representative Jason Perillo.
For context, Republican Amy Romano was elected into the House of Representatives on April 22, 2025, winning against Michael Duncan, the Democratic candidate in the race. After her victory, Romano was reportedly sworn in by the General Assembly on April 25, 2025, following the formal certification of her victory by the Secretary of State.
According to press coverage of the race, Romano’s succession of Perillo follows two unopposed elections of Perillo in 2022 and 2024, with the Connecticut outlet CT Mirror reporting that “[Perillo] won with 64% of the vote in 2020, the closest of his six contested races.”
In response to her victory, Romano described herself as “honored and grateful” and thanked those from her hometown of Shelton, Connecticut, who supported her during the race, according to coverage from WTNH. Romano went on to say, “In a little over a month, we met with thousands of residents who have proven that Shelton wants an affordable, safe, and sustainable place to live. I look forward to being their voice and fighting for local values. Thank you to all who volunteered, donated, and came out to vote.”
Regarding Romano’s victory, coverage from CT Mirror provided more details. According to their recent coverage of the race, the results “showed Romano defeating Democrat Mike Duncan, a member of the Water Pollution Control Authority, by a vote of 1,638 to 1,479 in the 113th House District of Shelton, succeeding Jason Perillo.”
In addition, CT Mirror reported that the seat in the House opened up after Perillo was elected to Senate, explaining that Perillo left is saet “after winning a special election for the state Senate seat vacated by Republican Kevin C. Kelly of Stratford, who left the Senate to become a judge of the Superior Court.”
Furthermore, press coverage confirmed that the last Democrat to win the race in the 113th House District was Albert R. Webber, who won in 1970. However, CT Mirror reports that Republicans are still in the minority in the House as a whole, explaining that “the victory does little to change the balance of power in the General Assembly, where Democrats won a 102-49 majority in November.”
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Following Romano’s victory, the X account for CT House Republicans shared their support in a post. They wrote, “Congratulations, Amy Romano! We know that you will honorably serve the people of Shelton. 
” The X account CTGOP also celebrated, writing, “Congratulations to Amy Romano on yesterday’s victory in the special election for the 113th State House District!” In response, an X user with the handle Catherine Knox sent Amy a heartfelt plea, saying, “Help us, Amy! Connecticut is sinking….” Another user chimed in, “One more Republican. Congrats, but we need about 100 more.”
Featured image credit: Rep. Amy Romano via Instagram