May 16, 2022

Delegates from the Eighth Senate District of Connecticut voted tonight to nominate Lisa Seminara from Avon as their candidate to run for this office in November. Well attended by the eight towns and the three partial parts of Granby, Torrington and Harwinton, delegates drove through thunderstorm warnings to join this convention in New Hartford. A generous buffet of food was available to all attendees at this local brewery.

The winner of this open seat election will replace long-serving, State Senator Kevin Witkos, who was first elected in November 2007. Prior to serving in the Senate, Witkos (R-17) served in the State House representing Canton and Avon elected in November 2003, and before this was a member of his Board of Education in Canton. A police officer before retiring and becoming an employee of Eversource, Witkos chose to retire after so many years of public service.

Lisa was elected to her home town of Avon’s Board of Education in 2019. A licensed social worker with a Columbia University Master’s Degree, she is happily married to her husband and has been a resident of Connecticut for 28 years. They have three children. Seminara also founded the Avon Special Education Parent Teacher Association and started a non-profit to develop a parcel of land into a fully accessible playground and park with other community members which they donated to the town of Avon.

The New Hartford RTC Chairman, Greg O’Brien, nominated the candidate and the Colebrook RTC Chairman and First Selectman, Chris Johnstone, seconded. State Central member Brian Werstler put together the meeting. Barkhamsted RTC Chairman Juliana Simone is on the vacancy committee, and was joined by her fellow two delegates, BOF member Dave Moulton and Selectman Nick Lukiwsky.

The Republican Candidate for Attorney General, Jessica Kordas, also attended the convention.