FARMINGTON — Five of Farmington's seven precincts will pick a state representative on Nov. 3 from two men who have both served on the Farmington Town Council: Mike Demicco, a Democrat who has held the seat since 2013, and Gary Palumbo, a Republican who says he ran a jewelry store in Unionville for 22 years.
The 21st District covers most of Farmington and Unionville. It is on the ballot in precincts 1-1, 1-2, 1-4, 2-6 and 2-7. Voters in precincts 1-3 and 2-5 are in the 22nd District instead. Our elections page shows which race is on your ballot.
Mike Demicco
Demicco, a Democrat also on the Working Families and Independent party lines, was first elected in 2012. He is one of the House's deputy majority leaders. His campaign site says he sits on committees including Public Health, Environment, and Energy and Technology, served on the Farmington Town Council from 2006 to 2013, taught high school and middle school history, and has lived in Farmington for more than 30 years.
His votes. On the major bills of the last two years, the legislature's roll calls show Demicco voting yes on all five:
- the 2025 state budget, which passed the House 99 to 49
- the 2025 housing bill, HB 5002, which passed the House 84 to 67 and was vetoed by Gov. Ned Lamont
- the housing law that replaced it, Public Act 25-1, passed in a special session last November, 90 to 56 in the House
- the 2025 energy bill, SB 4, aimed at lowering electric costs, 144 to 3 in the House
- the 2026 budget adjustments, 127 to 21 in the House
The housing law is the one Farmington has had to act on. It requires every town to allow small housing projects of two to nine units on land zoned for commercial or mixed use, with no public hearing. Farmington's zoning commission wrote it into the town's rules in September and chose not to extend it to residential neighborhoods, which the law allowed.
Taxes. Demicco's campaign site says he and his colleagues in the legislature delivered "the largest tax cut in state history." This year he was also among the introducers of HB 5133, which would have raised the state's top income tax rate from 6.99 percent to 7.99 percent. It got a public hearing in February and went no further. He was also among the introducers of bills for a refundable child tax credit (HB 5134) and a family caregiver tax credit (SB 285).
State aid. His site says Farmington's total state aid rose to $12.1 million "from $7.9 million two years ago." This spring he told the Town Council where an extra round of aid came from. The legislature had weighed a $200 rebate to every resident, he said, and instead "the decision was made that it would be more prudent to give whatever money that we could, supplemental money, to the towns." Farmington's share was about $1.8 million, and the council split the municipal part between this year's tax bills and a reserve.
Gary Palumbo
Palumbo, a Republican, has no campaign website of his own; his statement is posted on the Farmington Republican Town Committee's site. In it, he says he was a self-employed jeweler for 42 years and is now retired, owning Main St. Jewelers in New Britain for 20 years and then Farmington Jewelers in Unionville, and that he lives in the Highlands neighborhood.
He says he has served two terms on the Town Council and on the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Library Board, Economic Development and the Housing Commission. State election records show him finishing first of four candidates in a 2019 council race, with 1,880 votes.
He says he wants to bring "the perspective of the small business owner community to the State and the perspective of the elderly who came into my business to talk about their struggles to stay in town due to tax increases." He also pledges to keep "low taxes, and the excellent services that we cherish."
His wife, Amy Palumbo, served on the Town Council from 2021 until she lost her seat in November 2025. She is treasurer of the Republican Town Committee, which paid for the page.
The money
Both candidates applied for public financing through the state's Citizens' Election Program. The State Elections Enforcement Commission approved Demicco's grant on Aug. 19. Palumbo's application was on the commission's Sept. 2 agenda; through its Oct. 7 announcements, the commission had not announced a grant for him.
How to vote
Early voting runs Monday, Oct. 19, through Sunday, Nov. 1, on the third floor of Town Hall, 20 Monteith Drive. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Hours, polling places and the full ballot are on our elections page.
This coverage is supported by Farmington Storage, 155 Scott Swamp Road, the only storage facility in Connecticut with Museum air. Election season ends. The lawn signs have to go somewhere. 860.777.4001 📦
Jack Beckett has covered Farmington's state representative at the Town Council's microphone and in the legislature's roll calls, and finds the roll calls easier to read. He is on his second coffee. ☕
The Farmington Mercury covers Farmington from the records up: town government, the police log, zoning, schools and elections. Our motto is "Always last to breaking news." farmingtonmercury.com 📰