A candidate’s eligibility for a public grant hinges on demonstrating significant public support. Grant amounts are based on the level of support as demonstrated by how each candidate qualifies for the ballot, and, in some instances, by a show of support based on the number of nominating petition signatures a candidate obtains (as set forth below). Certain candidates may utilize the nominating petition process to qualify for a grant, or, if already eligible for a partial grant, to increase the amount of the grant if the candidate receives enough nominating petition signatures to meet required thresholds demonstrating significant public support. In addition, and as further explained below, the general election grant amount may also be impacted by the date of the campaign’s grant submission.

Convention Campaign Grant

Major party gubernatorial candidates who are eligible may apply for and receive a convention campaign grant before their party’s nominating convention.

Convention campaign is defined as the period beginning the day a candidate files an Affidavit of Intent to abide by the CEP expenditure limits (CEP Form 10) and ending at the close of the state convention held pursuant to §9-382 by a major party for the purpose of endorsing a candidate for nomination to the office of Governor.

Eligible candidates who qualify for the ballot in a primary may apply for a primary grant. After the party conventions, caucuses, or town committee meetings are held to endorse a party candidate, the Secretary of the State certifies which candidates will face primary contests. In order to be eligible for a primary grant, the candidate must qualify for a place on the primary ballot pursuant to state election laws and the primary must be scheduled.

The following chart sets forth the primary grant amounts for eligible candidate committees. The amount of the primary grant is reduced by the allowable amount of personal funds, if any, provided by the candidate during the qualifying period.

General Assembly Candidates in "Party-Dominant" Districts

General Assembly candidates in “party-dominant” districts are eligible for larger grants in primary campaigns. A “party-dominant” district is one in which the percentage of active electors (registered voters) in the district who are enrolled in a major party exceeds the percentage of active electors in the district who are enrolled in the other major party by at least twenty percentage points. A list of the party-dominant districts will be provided on the Commission’s website, portal.ct.gov/seec.

Grant Reduction Schedule

General Statutes § 9-705 provides for a grant reduction schedule. The later a campaign applies for a general election grant, the smaller the grant it may be eligible to receive. The specific dates for 2026 and the corresponding grant amounts will be outlined in the next sections.

Major Party Candidates

A major party is defined as a political party or organization whose candidate for Governor in the most recent gubernatorial election received at least 20% of the whole number of votes cast for all candidates for Governor while running as a member of that party, or a political party having a number of enrolled members on the active registry list equal to at least 20% of the total number of enrolled members of all political parties on the active registry list in the state at the time of the last gubernatorial election. A candidate who has obtained the nomination of a major party is eligible for a full general election grant base amount. However, if the candidate faces only a minor party or petitioning opponent who has not raised an amount equal to the qualifying threshold level for that office (“limited opposition”), the grant would be reduced to 60%, and if the candidate is unopposed in the general election, the grant would be reduced to 30%. In addition, the grant may now be reduced depending on when the campaign applies. The specific grant amounts, based on application date and opposition, are as follows:

2026 Governor General Election – Major Party Candidates

2026 Other Statewide Office General Election – Major Party Candidates

2026 Senate General Election – Major Party Candidates

2026 State Representative General Election – Major Party Candidates

Grant amounts are also reduced by any personal funds provided by the candidate, certain amounts of lawn signs provided to the committee, and any grant monies left over from a primary.

A minor party is defined as a political party that is not a major party and whose candidate for the office in question received at the last-preceding regular election for such office, under the designation of that political party or organization, at least 1% of the whole number of votes cast for all candidates for such office at such election.

A petitioning candidate is one who utilizes the nominating petition procedure to obtain ballot access.

A minor party candidate is eligible for a full general election grant if the candidate has obtained the nomination of a minor party whose candidate seeking election for the same office in the same district at the last-preceding regular election received at least 20% of the votes cast for that office. A petitioning candidate is eligible for a full general election grant if the candidate has obtained ballot access and petition signatures by electors equaling at least 20% of the votes cast for that office in the prior general election.

A minor party candidate is eligible for two thirds of a full general election grant if the candidate has obtained the nomination of a minor party whose candidate seeking election for the same office in the same district at the last-preceding regular election received at least 15% of the votes cast for that office. A petitioning candidate is eligible for a full general election grant if the candidate has obtained ballot access and petition signatures by electors equaling at least 15% of the votes cast for that office in the prior general election.

A minor party candidate is eligible for one third of a full general election grant if the candidate has obtained the nomination of a minor party whose candidate seeking election for the same office in the same district at the last-preceding regular election received at least 10% of the votes cast for that office. A petitioning candidate is eligible for a full general election grant if the candidate has obtained ballot access and petition signatures by electors equaling at least 10% of the votes cast for that office in the prior general election.

In addition, the grant amount may be reduced depending on when the candidate applies during the election cycle, as previously discussed. The specific grant amounts, based on application date and percentage of signatures / vote obtained by the minor party in previous regular election cycle, are summarized in the charts below:

Committees of Candidates Who Receive One-Third or Two-Thirds of the Full Grant Amount May Raise “Differential Contributions”

Minor party or petitioning candidates who receive less than the full grant amount may continue to raise and spend additional contributions, known as “differential contributions,” which must meet the criteria for qualifying contributions, up to the amount of the full applicable grant for the general election for that office.

Committees of Candidates Who Receive One-Third or Two-Thirds of the Full Grant Amount May Be Eligible For Post-Election Grant

Minor party or petitioning candidates who receive a one-third or two-thirds grant amount and report a deficit in post-election disclosure statements may also be eligible to receive supplemental grant money.

2026 Governor General Election – Minor Party & Petitioning

2026 Other Statewide Office General Election – Minor Party & Petitioning

2026 Senate General Election – Minor Party & Petitioning

2026 State Representative General Election – Minor Party & Petitioning

Grant amounts may also be reduced by the amount of any unspent primary funds (if the candidate’s committee received a primary grant), certain amounts of lawn signs provided to the committee, and by any personal funds provided by the candidate.