In this year’s election, Wilton voters will choose candidates for Congress, governor and other statewide offices, the Connecticut General Assembly and judge of probate.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Early Voting runs from Monday, Oct. 19, through Sunday, Nov. 1. Voters may also vote by Absentee Ballot.

Today we’ve published our annual GOOD Morning Wilton Special Election Issue Voter Guide, bringing together candidate information, our recorded video interview, campaign website links and practical information to help Wilton voters make informed choices when they cast their ballots.

Readers can also look back to our coverage of the 2026 campaigns on our Main Menu‘s ‘News’ tab by clicking on ‘Election 2026‘ (above).

For an explanation of how we covered the elections in the months leading up to Election Day, please refer to our Election Coverage Guidelines and Policies.

How to Use this Special Election Issue Voter Guide

Below, you’ll find links to candidate profiles, our recorded candidate video interview, campaign websites, town committee opinion pieces, reader Letters to the Editor and any published endorsements. You’ll also find information about when, where and how to vote in Wilton, including a sample ballot.

About Our Coverage and Candidate Participation

As always, GOOD Morning Wilton’s election coverage reflects our hyperlocal mission: helping readers understand the candidates and decisions that most directly affect Wilton.

This guide brings together our candidate interview, eligible submitted materials, campaign website links and practical voting information. Campaign websites contain candidate-produced material, not independent reporting. Their inclusion does not constitute an endorsement. GMW does not endorse candidates.

In September, we published our election guidelines, which established the opportunities, requirements and deadlines for participation. Each year we provide the document to all of the candidates and political town committees and reiterate that candidates and campaigns have the responsibility to meet all deadlines. If any participants missed deadlines, we indicate it in this Voter Guide and associated articles.

For Election 2026, we’ve focused our reporting resources on Wilton’s state legislative races — the 26th State Senate District and the 42nd State Representative District seats.

Because statewide and congressional races receive extensive coverage from other news organizations, this guide provides links to those candidates’ campaign websites so readers can explore their qualifications and positions directly.

This year, our principal reporting focus is the contested 26th State Senate District race, with candidates from two political parties seeking the seat. Only Samantha Nestor participated in a recorded video interview with GMW. After multiple attempts at earlier outreach went unanswered, GMW extended Alma Sarelli’s interview window and offered additional times. Her campaign said she was unavailable because of scheduling commitments.

Neither state senate candidate submitted an op-ed to GMW in accordance with our submission requirements by the Oct. 12 deadline.

The 42nd State House District race is uncontested, with incumbent Savet Constantine the only candidate seeking the seat. She did not participate in an interview and submitted her op-ed after the editorial deadline. Her campaign subsequently purchased publication of the statement and it appears today clearly labeled as sponsored content.

GMW accepted late biographies from all three state legislative candidates so voters would have basic background information about everyone seeking those seats. We also extended the interview window to provide another opportunity for participation. The deadline for inclusion of candidate op-eds in our editorial coverage remained in place.

We also invited Wilton’s political town committees to submit op-eds explaining their candidates, platforms or election priorities. The Democratic Town Committee submitted an op-ed before the deadline; the Republican Town Committee did not submit a statement.

Voters will not have a Wilton League of Women Voters debate to help compare the state senate candidates this year. According to organizers, Republican Alma Sarelli did not respond to invitations. Democrat Samantha Nestor agreed to participate, but organizers said their rules prohibit proceeding with only one candidate. According to a press release from the Westport League of Women Voters, Sarelli declined to participate in that organization’s debate and the Westport Journal reported Sarelli did not respond to invitations for debates in Ridgefield or Redding. Nestor said she was willing to appear in all of the scheduled events.

When candidates and parties do not participate or miss deadlines, voters lose an opportunity to hear from them through their local news outlet.

How candidates respond to requests to inform voters — including whether they follow through and meet clearly communicated deadlines — is also something voters can weigh when assessing those seeking public office.

Candidate Profiles

26th State Senate District — 2-Year Term

42nd State Representative District — 2-Year Term

Other Candidates on Wilton’s Ballot: Campaign Websites

Voters may select one candidate in each race; governor and lieutenant governor run together as a ticket.

  • Judge of Probate
    • Douglas Stern (Democrat)

Town Committee/Party/Campaign Op-Eds

Both of Wilton’s town committees were invited to submit 600-word op-eds on behalf of the town committees and their endorsed candidates and/or platform.

Letters to the Editor

Each election season, GMW publishes Letters to the Editor from readers every Friday. This year has shown a noticeable dip in the number of letters we’ve received: typically readers begin submitting letters in early September, but this year the first campaign-related letters didn’t arrive until October. GMW will continue publishing eligible letters on Fridays through Oct. 30. The final submission deadline is noon Thursday, Oct. 29.

Read what your fellow residents have to say about the elections and candidates and find out who they support and why.

Endorsements

On Tuesdays during election season, GMW publishes endorsements submitted on behalf of candidates from outside interest groups, public officials or other notable sources. Either candidates or the person/group making the endorsement submits these to GMW.

As of Oct. 19, GMW has not received any candidate endorsements for publication. Any eligible endorsements we publish will be linked here. The final submission deadline is noon Monday, Oct. 26, for publication Tuesday, Oct. 27.

General Voting Information

All the other information you need to vote in Wilton:

Join the Conversation

2 Comments

  1. Thank you for the consistent work to bring each candidate’s view and voice to voters. The inability of the Republican candidate and the Republican Town Committee to engage voters is perplexing and indicative of the corruptive influence of Trump as that Party’s national leader.

    Reply
    1. Reply
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