1994 Connecticut Secretary of the State election

1994 Connecticut Secretary of State election

November 8, 1994

Nominee Miles S. Rapoport Andrea Scott Party Democratic Republican Alliance A Connecticut Party Popular vote 493,995 491,758 Percentage 50.1% 49.9%

County results Rapoport:      50–60% Scott:      50–60%

Secretary of State before election Pauline R. Kezer Republican Elected Secretary of State Miles S. Rapoport Democratic

The 1994 Connecticut Secretary of the State election took place on November 8, 1994, to elect the Secretary of the State of Connecticut. Incumbent Republican Pauline R. Kezer did not seek re-election to a second term, instead opting to run for governor.

Democratic nominee and state representative from the 18th district Miles S. Rapoport narrowly defeated Republican nominee Andrea Scott by 2,237 votes, a margin of just 0.22%. As of 2025, this was the last time the Secretary of the State of Connecticut changed partisan control.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Andrea Scott, candidate for secretary of the state in 1990 and member of the State Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities[1]

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Miles S. Rapoport, state representative from the 18th district (1984–1994)[2]

Eliminated in primary

• Julia H. Tashjian, former secretary of the state (1983–1991) and candidate for state representative from the 61st district in 1974[3]

Endorsements

Miles S. Rapoport

State legislators

• Mary Mushinsky, state representative from the 85th district (1981–present)[4]

Organizations

• Connecticut Chapter of the Sierra Club[4]
• Connecticut Citizen Action Group[4]
• National Organization for Women[4]
• National Abortion Rights Action League[4]

Labor unions

• Connecticut AFL-CIO[4]
• Connecticut Education Association[4]
• New England Health Care Employees Union[4]

Julia H. Tashjian

Organizations

• Greater Bridgeport Women's Club[4]
• United States Veterans political action committee[4]

Results

The Democratic primary was held on September 13, 1994. State Representative Miles S. Rapoport defeated former Secretary of the State Julia H. Tashjian in a closer-than-expected race. Tashjian ran for re-election in 1990 but was defeated by Republican nominee Pauline R. Kezer. Tashjian was accused of benefiting from having her name next to state comptroller and gubernatorial candidate Bill Curry on the ballot, who exceeded expectations in the Democratic primary. Tashjian dismissed these claims, saying "Maybe Bill Curry benefitted a little bit from me. I went out there and met the voters."

Rapoport declared victory around 11:30 pm Tuesday night while Tashjian initially refused to concede the close race. [4]

Democratic primary results[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Miles S. Rapoport	77,253	52.53%
	Democratic	Julia H. Tashjian	69,801	47.47%
Total votes			147,054	100.0%

Third-party candidates and independent candidates

A Connecticut Party

A Connecticut Party endorsed Rapoport, giving him access to an additional ballot line. Rapoport received just over a quarter of his total vote share under A Connecticut Party. Official designee

• Miles S. Rapoport, state representative from the 18th district (1984–1994)

General election

Results

1994 Connecticut Secretary of the State election[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Miles S. Rapoport	366,380	37.17%
	A Connecticut Party	Miles S. Rapoport	127,615	12.95%
	Total	Miles S. Rapoport	493,995	50.11%
	Republican	Andrea Scott	491,758	49.89%
Total votes			985,753	100.0%
	Democratic gain from Republican

References

1. Ravo, Nick (July 21, 1990). "Connecticut Republicans Appear Ready to Nominate Rep. Rowland". New York Times. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
2. Connecticut Secretary of the State. "Candidate: Miles S. Rapoport - Election Results Archive". electionhistory.ct.gov. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
3. Connecticut Secretary of the State. "Candidate: Julia H. Tashjian - Election Results Archive". electionhistory.ct.gov. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
4. Keating, Christopher (September 14, 1994). "Rapoport Beats Tashjian in secretary of the state race". Hartford Courant. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
5. Connecticut Secretary of the State. "1994 General Election - Secretary of the State". electionhistory.ct.gov. Retrieved March 29, 2024.