Connecticut State Election Enforcement Commission Appoints Executive Director

The Connecticut State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) voted to appoint Ryan Burns as their new Executive Director. Burns, a former staff attorney for the SEEC and Deputy Legal Director of the Department of Public Health, replaces Interim Director Clare Kindall.

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The Connecticut General Assembly met for a brief two-day special session beginning November 12. Lawmakers passed House Bill 8002, which focuses on housing growth, and other legislation from the governor’s limited agenda. A previous version of the housing bill was vetoed by Gov. Lamont. 

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The Massachusetts Senate called a special election to be held on March 3, 2026 to fill a vacancy in the First Middlesex Senate District. The seat was previously held by Edward J. Kennedy who passed away at the age of 74. A special primary will take place on February 3, 2026.

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Three justices on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will be retained. Democratic justices Kevin Dougherty, Christine Donohue, and David Wecht each secured around 61% of the vote to retain their offices. This election retains the 5-2 Democratic majority on the court.

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Ballot Measure 6, which would have moved local elections to the same year as presidential elections has been defeated after only receiving around 46% of the vote.

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Democrat Mikie Sherrill defeated Republican Jack Ciattarelli to become the next governor of New Jersey. Sherrill, a current U.S. representative, secured over 56% of the vote.

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Democrat Zohran Mamdani has won the New York City mayoral election against Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Silwa. Mamdani captured over 50% of the vote with Cuomo finishing behind with around 40% of the vote.

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The Rhode Island Ethics Commission voted to increase the maximum value of gifts public officials can receive from interested persons. The current gift limit of $25 with an aggregated limit of $75 per year will be doubled to $50 and $150 per year. Additionally, the definition of interested persons will be expanded to include lobbyists and lobbyist employers. The new limits will be effective January 1, 2026, after the commission finalizes the changes.

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The Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (COELIG) is accepting comments through October 2 on potential proposals to strengthen ethics and lobbying laws. Proposals include clarifying gift thresholds, additional late fees for lobbyists, restrictions on lobbyist campaign contributions, requiring electronic submission of lobbyist filings, and requiring training for lobbyist filing preparers.

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The Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics proposed rule amendments to align with statutory changes regarding contributions by lobbyists and to make uniform citations. The proposal clarifies rules relating to the ban on lobbyist contributions during legislative sessions and adds a definition for covered officials. The commission will accept written comments on the proposal until October 6 and will hold a public hearing for comments during the commission’s meeting on September 24.

The State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) proposed a declaratory ruling to allow contributions from digital wallets for the 2026 election cycle on a provisional basis. Payments from digital wallets will be included in the definition of checks and credit cards for campaign contributions if the processor provides enough information to detect fraud. The SEEC is requesting written public comment until September 22 on the proposed ruling.

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The New York Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (COELIG) will hold their third annual public hearing on September 25. The hearing will allow public comment on the operations of the commission and laws the commission enforces. The hearing can be attended in person or through videoconference, and written comments will be accepted until October 9.

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The First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the ban on contributions from foreign government-influenced entities is likely unconstitutional. The ban, which was approved by voters in a ballot measure in 2023, was found to be too broad and overly restrictive on speech. The case will now be sent back to the district court.

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A special election for State Representative District 20 has been scheduled for August 5. The seat was previously held by Stell Parker Selby who resigned on June 24 after missing the 2025 session for health reasons. Selby had served as a state representative since 2022.

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