HARTFORD – In a special session of the General Assembly held today, state Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex) voted to approve Attorney Nora Dannehy for a seat on the Connecticut State Supreme Court and to move Connecticut’s presidential primary date up four weeks from April 30 to April 2.
“I’m glad we are taking action today on several important matters in Connecticut,” said Sen. Needleman. “Attorney Dannehy is an experienced and morally guided attorney who has served our country and state for decades; I am happy to vote for her to join the state Supreme Court. Additionally, adjusting our primary will add urgency and relevancy to the state’s electoral procedures, bringing more attention and importance to our primaries.”
Attorney Dannehy is being named to fill the seat most recently held by the Honorable Maria Araújo Kahn, who resigned earlier this year after being confirmed to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Attorney Dannehy earned a B.A. in political science and French from Wellesley College, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. She has served in several roles with the U.S. Department of Justice, as Connecticut’s Deputy Attorney General, as Associate General Counsel for Global Ethics and Compliance for United Technologies Corporation, as Counsel to the U.S. Attorney, and as General Counsel to Governor Lamont from 2021 until January 2023.
The change in Connecticut’s presidential primary date will align us with presidential primary dates in New York, Rhode Island, Wisconsin and Delaware and could give Connecticut more influence in helping determine the ultimate nominees for the general election.