Ritter elected speaker as Connecticut House organizes for 2025 session; rules adopted

The Connecticut House of Representatives elected Matthew Ritter as speaker and adopted the chamber’s rules for the 2025–26 legislative session during its Jan. 8 opening convening at the State Capitol in Hartford.

The nominations and votes set House leadership and several administrative measures that will guide committee work and the floor calendar over the next five months. Majority Leader Jason Rojas led the effort to adopt the House rules, which include a provision noted by Minority Leader Vincent Candelora that will allow chairs and ranking members to require in-person attendance to participate in committee meetings.

Representative Kendall Laura nominated Matthew Ritter for speaker; Representative Jason Rojas seconded the nomination. The House held a voice vote and the presiding officer declared, “Matthew Ritter is elected Speaker of the House of Representatives.” Ritter thanked colleagues and said the chamber’s work depends on mutual trust. “I do not speak,” he said in explaining the speaker’s traditional role, “but we govern collectively.”

The House also elected Frederick Jortner as Clerk, confirming a nomination moved by Majority Leader Jason Rojas and seconded by Minority Leader Vincent Candelora. The clerk and assistant clerk were sworn in, and several housekeeping resolutions were adopted by voice votes to set journal printing, canvass procedures and related administrative matters.

One interchamber measure, Senate Joint Resolution 1, was taken by roll call and adopted; the clerk announced the tally as 133 ayes, 11 nays, with 6 absent or not voting (144 total voting). The presiding officer noted the roll call was provided as a courtesy and that the 20% threshold referenced during the vote was not met.

Votes at a glance

- Election of Matthew Ritter as Speaker — Nomination: Representative Kendall Laura; Second: Representative Jason Rojas; Outcome: Elected by voice vote (declared by presiding officer). Vote tally: not specified in transcript.

- Election of Frederick Jortner as Clerk — Nomination: Majority Leader Jason Rojas; Second: Minority Leader Vincent Candelora; Outcome: Elected by voice vote; sworn in.

- House Resolution 2 (House rules) — Moved by Representative Jason Rojas; Outcome: Adopted by voice vote. The rules include language allowing chairs and ranking members to require in-person attendance for committee participation.

- House Resolutions 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (administrative: assistant clerk appointment, canvass committees, journal printing, chaplain confirmations, etc.) — Mover: Majority Leader Jason Rojas (as introduced); Outcome: Adopted by voice votes (individual roll calls not recorded in transcript excerpts).

- Senate Joint Resolution 1 (joint rules of the Senate and House) — Introduced by Senate leadership; Outcome: Adopted by roll call. Clerk tally announced: 133 ayes, 11 nays, 6 absent/not voting (144 total voting). The presiding officer noted that the 20% was not met and that the roll call was provided as a courtesy.

What the rules change means

Minority Leader Vincent Candelora highlighted one change in the adopted House rules intended to increase in-person participation at committee meetings: chairs and ranking members may determine that members must be physically present to take part in committee business. Candelora framed the change as a step toward restoring more in-person committee deliberations after the pandemic-era expansion of remote options.

Next steps

The House recessed for a brief joint convention and to receive the Senate after completing organizational business. Members and leaders said they will move quickly into substantive committee work and budget debates as the session advances.

(Quotes in this article are from remarks recorded on the House floor during the Jan. 8 opening session. All quoted speakers are identified in the article’s speaker list.)