Copyright Hartford Courant
The number of active Republican voters in Connecticut increased by almost 6%, or more than 26,000 voters, over the course of four years — a trend that is especially prevalent in some of the state’s biggest cities. Hartford and New Haven saw large increases in Republican voter registration, each with over 1,000 more Republican voters in 2025 than in 2021. This gain nearly doubled the number of registered Republicans in both cities, but the party still sits strongly in the minority state-wide by nearly 303,000 voters. While Democrats still hold a strong majority, the party lost over 32,000 active voters from 2021 to 2025. Many towns saw decreases in overall voter registration but increases in Republican Party registration. John Carlson, a former New Haven mayoral candidate and the current chair of the New Haven Republican Town Committee, said he isn’t surprised by the increase. Carlson attributed much of the change in New Haven to a part of the larger national trend. “People are angry with the Democrat party,” Carlson said. “That’s really the single biggest reason, is that they’re angry with Democrat party and they identify with Republicans.” Carlson sited the “Walk Away” campaign, a social media movement founded in 2018 encouraging voters to leave the Democratic Party, as a possible reason behind the change. But in New Haven specifically, where the Republican Party jumped from 2,655 voters in 2021 to 3,801 voters in 2025, a 43.16% increase, Carlson said there may be an additional explanation. “New Haven Republicans, we represent New Haven. We’re a very diverse group, and our candidates reflect that,” Carlson said. “And many people, because of our candidates, have registered Republican.” There are numerous races on ballot this week in New Haven, including the mayoral race, where incumbent Democrat Justin Elicker is running against Republican Steve Orosco. Hartford saw very similar changes as New Haven, with active Republican voters increasing by nearly 1,200 in 2025 compared to 2021. In 2021, registered Republicans made up just over 4% of total active Hartford voters but now make up 5.8%. This trend, according to Sweets Wilson, a chairperson on the Hartford Republican Town Committee, may be attributed to numerous factors across the city and the state. “What I think overall could be happening is there are various segments — faith based, women’s rights, racial equality, justice — and you know, these different divisions are now taking a look at in the past, how have blues really served their particular interests,” Wilson said. In Hartford, there is only one office on the ballot — the city’s Board of Education. While the largest jumps in registered Republicans occurred in some of Connecticut’s larger cities, the trend occurred in many towns across the state. Lisa Milone is the Republican registrar of voters in New Haven and the secretary for the Connecticut Republican Party. She said she’s been active in the New Haven Republican Party for the past 10 years and has seen recent shifts in voter mindset. “People are starting to really want their voices heard, and I’m finding that more people want to get involved and do things or see change,” Milone said. “And secondly, there’s a lot of voters that are probably taking a closer look at how the local and state policies are affecting our day-to-day lives.” Milone, who is also a member of the New Haven Republican Town Committee, said the organization has conducted a lot of voter outreach and education within the city. She has seen first-hand an increase in interest in local issues. But this trend isn’t unique to New Haven, Milone said. “I think that the increase in the Republican registration reflects probably a growing desire for balance and accountability,” Milone said. “I think a lot of residents want to be a part of shaping local decisions. They’re getting more involved locally, and I don’t necessarily think that’s only New Haven.” Milone said that, on the state level, there has been a stronger Republican presence across the state. She said there are stronger campaigns being run by Republicans where people are “putting their best foot forward.” “There is a shift,” Milone said. But Milone said that for today’s election, she just hopes people come to the polls. “You know, regardless of the outcome, I really hope a really good voter turnout.” Sasha Allen is a reporter for the Connecticut Mirror. Copyright 2025 @ CT Mirror (ctmirror.org).
