HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said Thursday he has decided to move the state’s April 28 presidential primary to a later date to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The Democrat announced on Twitter the primary will now be held June 2, in coordination with other states and Secretary of the State Denise Merrill. Connecticut is the latest state to postpone primary elections amid the global pandemic. Maryland, another state that was part of the April 28 primary, dubbed the “Acela Primary” or “I-95 Primary,” also moved its primary to June 2.
The other states to postpone are Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana and Ohio.
Connecticut’s change makes it mathematically impossible for Joe Biden to clinch the nomination before May.
Merrill said in a tweet that the decision to change the date did not come lightly, but it will give local election officials more time to prepare.
“It’s a recognition of the severity and nature of this crisis, and more steps may be necessary to guarantee that every Connecticut voter has an opportunity to cast their ballot,” she said.
SECOND DEATH
A 91-year-old New Canaan man who was hospitalized with the coronavirus has died, becoming Connecticut’s second victim of the virus, a local official announced.
The New Haven Register reports that New Canaan Councilman Steve Karl announced the death at a Town Council meeting Wednesday night, asking for a moment of silence as the meeting was about to adjourn.
The man’s death is the second in Connecticut from the coronavirus. A man in his 80s who had been a resident of a Ridgefield assisted living facility died Wednesday at Danbury Hospital, Gov. Ned Lamont announced.
COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, has stricken thousands across the globe but usually presents only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For older adults and people with other health problems, it can cause complications or sometimes death. Most people recover.
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