Connecticut's 2026 primary was held on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. The next election is the general election on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, and the next statewide primary is in August 2028. The November ballot by precinct, polling places, early voting hours and absentee rules are on our Farmington elections page.
What the August 11 primary decided in Farmington
Connecticut runs closed primaries: only registered Democrats could vote in the Democratic primary, and only registered Republicans in the Republican one. Unaffiliated voters could not vote unless they enrolled in a party first. As we reported before early voting, each party's voters in Farmington had one race on their ballot.
- Democrats, governor: Governor Ned Lamont, the incumbent, beat state Rep. Josh Elliott of Hamden. Lamont and his running mate, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, are on the Democratic line in November.
- Republicans, U.S. House, 5th District (all of Farmington is in the 5th): Chris Shea, a firefighter and former Navy SEAL, beat Jonathan De Barros, a community activist. Shea faces U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes in November.
Republicans had no primary for governor; Ryan Fazio is the party's nominee. None of the state legislative seats covering Farmington had a primary. The town's November sample ballot lists Lamont, Shea and Fazio as their parties' nominees.
The next election: November 3, 2026
Polls are open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Early voting runs October 19 through November 1 in the third-floor Training Room at Farmington Town Hall, 20 Monteith Drive. The regular registration deadline was October 16. After that you can register and vote the same day, in person, at Town Hall: during early voting hours, or on Election Day from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Your ballot, polling place and the full schedule are on our Farmington elections page.
When Connecticut holds primaries
- State and congressional offices: state law sets the primary for the second Tuesday in August of every year with a state election (Connecticut General Statutes, Section 9-423). State elections fall in even-numbered years, so the next statewide primary is Tuesday, August 8, 2028.
- Town offices: the primary is held 56 days before the November town election, under the same section of law. Farmington elects its Town Council and Board of Education in odd-numbered years. In 2025 that rule put the town-election primary on September 9. Farmington's next town election is in November 2027, so any contested town race would go to a primary in September 2027.
- Presidential primaries run on a separate schedule in the spring. Connecticut's last one was in April 2024.
A primary is only held where a race is contested. If a party has one candidate for an office, that office does not appear on that party's primary ballot.
To check your party enrollment, registration or polling place, use the state's voter lookup or call the Farmington Registrars of Voters at 860-675-2367.
Past primaries
August 13, 2024. Farmington Republicans chose between Beacon Falls First Selectman Gerry Smith and U.S. Navy veteran Matthew Corey for the nomination to challenge U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, the Democratic incumbent, in November. Early voting ran August 5 through 11 at the Town Hall Pavilion behind the old Town Hall at 1 Monteith Drive. Town Hall has since moved to the former Farmington High School at 20 Monteith Drive.
Sources
- Connecticut General Statutes, Chapter 153, Section 9-423
- Secretary of the State: 2026 Election Calendar
- Town of Farmington: 2026 Election Information