Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill says she won't be running for reelection in 2022.
The three-term Democrat made the announcement on Wednesday outside the state Capitol, where she previously served 17 years as a state representative, including as the House Majority Leader. Merrill says the job has been the “honor of my life."
She says she's proud of efforts under her watch to modernize the office and voting, including setting up online voter registration, Election Day Registration, and automatic voter registration through the Department of Motor Vehicles and now other state agencies. She plans to finish her term.
“Denise Merrill has undoubtedly left her mark on Connecticut and has been among the most vocal champions of voter rights in our state," Democratic Governor Ned Lamont said in a statement. "At a time in history when some of her counterparts across the nation are working to enact provisions that block access to voting, she has worked tirelessly to ensure that every eligible adult has the ability to cast a ballot with ease and not need to jump through endless bureaucratic hoops to practice their democratic rights. As Connecticut’s voting laws evolve in the future making it easier for all of us to vote, I’ll be thinking of how Denise fought tirelessly for these changes.”
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