Photos by Sam Gurwitt

Justin Farmer, left, and Jorge Cabrera, right.

A Democratic primary for State Senate District 17 is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020.

The 17th State Senate district includes Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Derby, Hamden, Naugatuck and Woodbridge.

The two candidates are:

Jorge Cabrera

Justin Farmer

Where Do I Vote?

Every eligible voter should have received an application for an absentee ballot.

(As of Friday, a spokesperson for the secretary of state’s office said it is still possible to get an application & absentee ballot if you don’t want to vote at the polls. However, he suggested contacting your town clerk directly to make arrangements.)

If you completed the application and received your absentee ballot, you can drop off your ballot in drop boxes that have been placed outside city halls.

In Ansonia, the box is in the driveway between City Hall (253 Main St.) and Veterans Park.

In Derby, the box is outside city hall (1 Elizabeth St.) on the Minerva Street side of the building.

Click here for the Beacon Falls Town Clerk.

Click here for the Bethany Town Clerk.

Click here for the Hamden Town Clerk.

Click here for the Naugatuck Town Clerk.

Click here for the Woodbridge Town Clerk.

Polling Places

In addition, polling places will be open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 11.

In Ansonia, the polling locations are:

Wards 1&2: Ansonia Armory

Ward 3: Holy Rosary Church

Wards 4&5: Back of Ansonia Middle School (Gym)

Ward 6: Prendergast School

Ward 7: Mead School

In Derby, the polling locations are the Irving School on Garden Street, or the Bradley School on David Humphreys Road.

For more information on voting in Derby, click this link.

FYI: The state offers an online service where anyone can look up their polling location. Click here to use it.

Click here to take a look at the ballot for the Democratic primary.

About The Candidates

Cabrera is the officially endorsed candidate of the Democratic Party. Farmer ~~collected enough signatures~~ (correction: Farmer received enough
delegate support at the convention) to hold Tuesday’s primary.

The winner of Tuesday’s contest will face two-term incumbent state Sen. George Logan, a Republican from Ansonia, on Election Day in November.

Cabrera faced Logan two years ago and lost by 77 votes. He works as a business representative and Director of Organizing for UFCW Local 919 in Farmington.

He was a key union figure representing Stop & Shop workers during a union strike in 2019.

Cabrera lives in Hamden with his wife, Rebecca, who is a school principal, and their twin 15-year-old sons.

The Valley Indy recently interviewed Cabrera on Zoom about his background and why he wants to represent the 17th District.

The interview is embedded below:

Farmer is serving his second term on Hamden’s Legislative Council.

He is a part-time student studying marine biology at Southern Connecticut State University. He is self-employed, working in property management.

He is a Democratic socialist, and describes himself as an “activist elected official.”

The Valley Indy recently interviewed Farmer on Zoom about his background and why he wants to represent the 17th District.

The interview is embedded below:

The two candidates also participated in a debate sponsored by The New Haven Independent, WNHH-LP FM, and The Valley Independent Sentinel.

Click here for a story on the debate.

Click the play button below to watch the debate, which has been viewed about 6,700 times on Facebook.

Endorsements

Here is a list of groups that have endorsed Cabrera:

AFSCME Council 4
American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
The Ansonia Democratic Town Committee
The Beacon Falls Democratic Town Committee
The Bethany Democratic Town Committee
The Connecticut and the New Haven Building Trades Unions
Connecticut Employees International Union (CEIU)
The Connecticut Hispanic Democrats Caucus
The Connecticut AFL-CIO, Communications Workers of America Local 1298
The Derby Democratic Town Committee
International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE)
The Naugatuck Valley Young Democrats
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
State Council, Local 1199, CSEA Local 2001, and Local 32BJ
United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Locals 371 and 919
United Auto Workers Region 4
United Brotherhood of Carpenters Local 326
The Woodbridge Democratic Town Committee
The Working Families Party
Moms Demand Action (named a candidate of distinction)

Here is a list of groups that have endorsed Farmer:

Planned Parenthood Votes CT!
Connecticut Young Democrats
Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)
Central Connecticut DSA
Southern Connecticut State University Young DSA
Yale YDSA
Run For Something
Hamden Action Now
Sunrise Connecticut
Sunrise New Haven
Yale Endowment Justice Coalition
New Haven Climate Movement