Vincent Candelora

House Republicans Unanimously Re-Elect Candelora as Caucus Leader

HARTFORD—House Republicans unanimously chose Vincent Candelora to serve a fourth term as their leader Thursday night, backing the North Branford lawmaker to continue guiding the caucus. Candelora said he and his caucus colleagues are ready for the next legislative session and will focus on proposals to make Connecticut more affordable. “It continues to be an honor to serve my district and lead the House Republican caucus,” Candelora said. “The contrast between our caucus and a House Democratic caucus that has shifted dramatically left couldn’t be clearer. We will be ready to fight the tax increases and government expansion the progressive majority will undoubtedly launch, and we will continue to offer solutions to the most pressing issues facing Connecticut residents.” Candelora was first chosen as House Republican Leader in 2020. He represents the 86th Assembly District, which also includes sections of Durham, East Haven, and Guilford.

Connecticut Second Most Financially-Distressed State: Reason Foundation

Check out this new report from the Reason Foundation, which dove deep into the finances of every state.

Candelora Calls for Rejection of $5M Federal Cuts Response Fund Request

HARTFORD—House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora and Senate Republican Leader Stephen Harding are calling for a public meeting of legislative leaders to vote on Governor Ned Lamont’s $5 million request from the Federal Cuts Response Fund. In a joint letter, the leaders ask the committee created under Special Act 26-1 to reject the request, arguing that it does not respond to a federal funding cut and instead uses state taxpayer dollars to address a change in a temporary immigration status. Candelora and Harding said Connecticut families facing the state’s affordability crisis deserve greater accountability for how public funds are spent. They urged legislative leaders to convene promptly, noting that the law provides only 24 hours to vote on the request and permits a public virtual meeting. The leaders said the committee should reject the request and demand a stronger focus on affordability and the needs of Connecticut’s legal residents.

House Republicans statement on New Opportunities Inc. audit

HARTFORD— House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora (R-North Branford) and Rep. Jay Case (R-Winchester), House Ranking Member of the Human Services Committee, released the following statement Tuesday in response to an independent audit conducted of New Opportunities Inc.: "This forensic audit exposes mismanagement of public dollars at New Opportunities that is even worse than we feared when this crisis first broke earlier this year. Energy assistance funds meant to heat the homes of low-income families were diverted to cover operating losses, including a failing hydroponics venture that bled money year after year. Checks bounced. Negative cash balances were disguised on the books and hidden from the board. We're glad this report has been referred to the Attorney General and the state’s attorney’s office. The audit rightly focuses on the former CEO and the current CFO, but we think the board of directors also has questions to answer. Management kept them in the dark, and that's inexcusable, but a board's job is to ask hard questions before a crisis, not after. Going forward, the state needs to know whether this board is up to the task of overseeing an organization entrusted with public funds. We urge authorities to pursue a thorough investigation in a timely manner, both for the families who depend on these programs and for taxpayers already stretched thin by the cost of living in a state where government spending climbs year after year."

2026 Major Public Acts

The state's nonpartisan Office of Legislative Research has issued its 2026 Major Public Acts report detailing some of the biggest pieces of legislation adopted during the 2026 session. Check out the report here .