Vote Stephanie Thomas in 2026 on Tues. November 3! Stephanie Thomas para Secretaria d
BIOGRAPHY OF SECRETARY THOMAS
Stephanie Thomas was sworn in as Connecticut’s Secretary of the State on January 4, 2023. With a distinguished 30-year career advising and problem-solving for nonprofit organizations, running her own business, and serving as a State Representative of the 143rd District (Norwalk, Wilton, Westport), Secretary Thomas brings a unique blend of business expertise and a passion for civics to public service.
Since taking office, Secretary Thomas has led the implementation of significant election reforms in the state, including the successful roll-out of early voting. In September 2023, she secured a historic investment of $25 million to replace the state’s aging tabulators, marking Connecticut’s first voting machine upgrade since 2006. During her term, Secretary Thomas will also institute a new centralized voter registration system, election night reporting system, upgrades to the business.ct.gov portal and oversee the implementation of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of Connecticut, universal access to absentee ballots and automatic voter registration at several Connecticut agencies.
A former small business owner, Secretary Thomas has worked to pass business-friendly legislation, and she has created a monthly e-newsletter that aggregates funding and training resources in one place to save business owners’ time.
Secretary Thomas believes that a healthy representative democracy relies on regular and active participation in civic life by all. To promote robust civic engagement, she has met Connecticut’s communities in their own spaces, thereby cultivating a nonpartisan dialogue between the people and their government. She has travelled to barbershops and salons around the state as part of her Connect & Cut series, held civic trivia events at local libraries, encouraged businesses and nonprofits to be civic ambassadors through her innovative CEO (Civically Engaged Organization) program, and put the power of civics into the hands of the public by providing plain-language, civics resources at Civics101.ct.gov.
Secretary Thomas made history as the first Black person to be elected Secretary of the State of Connecticut. She has dedicated time to serving on many boards and strategic planning committees, and she has been an active volunteer in her community. She currently serves on the Executive Board of the National Association of Secretaries of State. Secretary Thomas holds a B.A. from New York University and an M.S. in Nonprofit Management from New School University. She and her husband are proud residents of Norwalk, Connecticut.
my Experience
As a strategy and fundraising consultant, I have devised creative solutions when other plans have failed, for over twenty years. Armed with nothing but history, with little control over the key stakeholders and limited budgets, I have created workable plans quickly and effectively to help organizations thrive for the long term.
In my work, I have consistently built consensus and quickly cut through the politics of various stakeholders with differing priorities. I find common ground and win/win solutions that benefit the greater good while allowing all parties to retain their voice and place at the table.
As a small business owner, I understand what it takes to grow and maintain a successful enterprise. There are no shortcuts for hard work and fair dealing. Government must support and never be an impediment. Boards value my work because I am not afraid to speak my mind, ask the difficult questions, and challenge historical assumptions.
In 2018 when I saw a problem, I brought the same work ethic and fair dealing to the political arena. I became an active volunteer with Fight Back Connecticut, served on Norwalk’s Democratic Town Committee, and was appointed to Norwalk’s Zoning Commission. In 2020, with the help of a small army of engaged volunteers of all ages and races, I was elected as State Representative of Connecticut’s 143rd district (Norwalk, Wilton, and Westport).
In Hartford, I made a name for myself by addressing constituent concerns quickly and thoroughly and by speaking up to challenge assumptions on both sides of the aisle. In addition to my work on the Commerce and Transportation Committees, as Vice Chair of the Government Administration and Elections Committee, I was able to sponsor and help pass a variety of voter focused bills such as automatic voter registration at state agencies and resolutions to advance early voting and no-excuse absentee ballot voting.
It has been my pleasure serving as Connecticut's 75th Secretary of the State since January, 2023.