Following the February 17 resignation of State Rep JP Sredzinski, whose 112th District includes more than 2,300 registered voters in southern Newtown, Governor Ned Lamont announced he has scheduled Tuesday, April 13, as the date to hold a special election to fill that vacancy.

Under an existing executive order imposed last year that remains in effect, this special election will permit qualified voters from Monroe and Newtown to vote by “no-excuse” absentee ballot.

According to Newtown Town Clerk Debbie Halstead, Newtown residents registered to vote from the 112th District can begin applying for an absentee ballot immediately.

Absentee ballots are scheduled to become available for mailing, or for walk-in absentee voting, beginning Friday, March 12. A secure ballot drop box will also be installed outside the western entry to the Newtown Municipal Center across from the community center at Fairfield Hills, similar to what voters saw for the 2020 presidential primary and general election.

Eligible voters in the district will be able to vote in person on April 13, at Reed Intermediate School, between 6 am and 8 pm.

Since the governor’s announcement, two candidates have emerged as contenders for the vacancy, both residents of Monroe who have been endorsed by Newtown’s Democratic and Republican Town Committees. The GOP candidate for the special election is Tony Scott, and the Democratic candidate is Nicholas Kapoor.

Coincidentally, the candidates are also neighbors.

Meet Tony Scott

A release from Scott expressed gratitude to Sredzinski for his service, saying the former lawmaker “was a strong voice in Hartford for our district and he will be missed.

“I know I have big shoes to fill and I believe I am up for the challenge,” Scott said.

Scott has previously served in appointed posts on Monroe’s Economic Development Commission, has been a member and chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission, and was appointed to fill a vacancy and currently serves on the Monroe Town Council.

“The work I have done in Monroe has been rewarding, but there is still a lot more work to be done up in Hartford,” Scott said in his candidate release. “It is crucial, now more than ever, that we continue to have strong representation that truly represents the citizens of this district.”

Scott graduated from Penn State University with a communications degree in broadcast journalism and currently works in marketing at Edgewell Personal Care in Shelton as a senior promotions manager. He previously had a similar marketing role with Henkel Corporation in Stamford.

Meet Nick Kapoor

In his candidate announcement, Kapoor said he sees this election as an opportunity to expand the contributions he has been making on behalf of local residents since he graduated from Sacred Heart University.

“I was bitten by the political bug at an early age,” Kapoor said. “I saw the effect elected officials could have on policy and how they could change peoples’ lives for the better and I was sold.”

Out of college and 21 years old, Kapoor, like his opponent, received an appointment to a vacancy on the Monroe Town Council. In 2015, he was elected to a Town Council seat in his own right.

More recently, Kapoor was elected to serve on the Monroe Board of Education and, on a statewide level, in 2017 he was appointed to the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities. He also served as an aid to former Newtown (106 District) State Rep Chris Lyddy.

“During my early days of interning for [Rep Lyddy] in Hartford, I saw first-hand how legislators could turn constituents’ concerns into much-needed, helpful legislation,” Kapoor said, “and that’s exactly what I hope to do for the people of the 112th. If I am elected, you can count on me to fight fiercely to ensure that the voices of the people of Newtown and Monroe are heard loud and clear in Hartford.”

Kapoor said he could be counted on to champion civil rights protections, opportunities for equal education, and the promotion of green technologies, along with infrastructure improvement and working on a creative diversification of the state’s revenue stream.

“But I am primarily running,” he said, “because the people of Newtown and Monroe deserve to have a voice in Hartford; the voice of someone who has lived in the district his entire life, then bought his first house here, and now wants to do the very best for his district and his state.”

Kapoor is vice president of operations for I-Engineering, Inc, a family-owned insurance technology company based in Shelton. He also teaches mathematics at Fairfield University as a visiting professor.

Endorsements Abound

Both candidates have been endorsed by Newtown’s respective town committees.

“The Newtown DTC is excited to support Nick Kapoor’s candidacy for the 112th House District,” said DTC Chair Eric Paradis. “Mr Kapoor has shown himself to be a dedicated public servant through his work on Monroe’s Town Council, and current role as a member of Monroe’s Board of Education. His ability to advocate for all citizens will serve the 112th District of Newtown and Monroe well. He will amplify our voices in Hartford to make sure all of our needs are heard. We will work hard to help Mr Kapoor win this special election on April 13.”

“Tony has the experience and knowledge to transition into the Connecticut General Assembly and pick up where JP left off,” said an endorsement memo from the Newtown RTC board of directors. “As a protégé and friend of Sredzinski, Tony is more than familiar with both Monroe and Newtown. Tony is also passionate about serving his community. Currently he is a member of the Monroe Town Council, where he is the chairman of the Strategic Planning Subcommittee.”

Newtown Republican Selectman Jeff Capeci added, “While JP will be missed in Hartford, I understand the difficult decision he made. Moving forward, Newtown needs a leader to follow in JP’s footsteps. Tony has been easy to talk with and I learned that he shares many of the values we repeatedly sent JP to Hartford to advocate for. Tony will work hard to continue what JP started for Monroe and Newtown. Their friendship and past associations make Tony the best choice to be JP’s successor as our next 112th State Rep.”

Scott has also been endorsed by Sredzinski, who said he has known the aspiring lawmaker since 2008.

“The one aspect that stands out most about Tony is his commitment: to his wife and two girls, to his community, and his commitment to doing the right thing,” Sredzinski said. “Tony is an honest, hard-working, and dedicated individual with strong values and will serve the 112th District well.”

For more information on the candidates’ campaigns, visit tonyscottforstaterep.com and nickforct.com.