CT Republicans Pick Candidates for Primaries

In 2020, Smith emerged as the Republican nominee for a state Senate seat, securing a majority of votes from delegates at the state convention. However, Corey managed to surpass the 15% threshold necessary to trigger a primary election. At the district convention in May, Corey narrowly received the party's endorsement over Goldstein, an attorney and physician who had previously run unsuccessfully for the 4th District nomination in both 2020 and 2022. Polls for the primary close at 8 p.m., with participation limited to registered party members, meaning Democrats cannot vote in the Republican primary and vice versa. The 4th Congressional District, which includes Bridgeport and Stamford, is located in southwestern Connecticut. In the 2018 U.S. Senate Republican primary, Corey won decisively, capturing 77% of the vote across all 169 towns. Goldstein's previous attempt in the 4th District during the 2022 elections resulted in a loss, where he garnered only 40% of the districtwide vote. Connecticut law mandates automatic recounts if the vote margin is less than 0.5% of total votes cast, with a cap of 2,000 votes. In the 2022 midterms, Republican primary turnout was notably low, with only 4% of registered voters participating, and there was no statewide Democratic contest that year. In comparison, early voting trends showed that 26% of Democratic primary voters and 17% of Republican primary voters cast their ballots before election day, a significant increase from previous years. As of now, more than 99% of total votes have been counted.