Update: Santanella files lawsuit alleging election rules were broken

Image from lawsuit. What the lawsuit is seeking.

Tom Tyler, the former town attorney, has gathered enough signatures to challenge state Rep. John Santanella in a Democratic primary. But there is now an effort being made to invalidate the challenge.

In a lawsuit filed this week in Connecticut Superior Court, Santanella is arguing that election rules were violated. If he succeeds, the primary challenge may be tossed out.

The Tyler campaign is saying that they followed the rules and guidance they received from town officials. 

The lawsuit was brought to light by Tyler, who posted on Facebook that Santanella was seeking to remove him from the ballot.

Specifically, the suit claims the Democratic registrar provided petition sheets four days before state law allowed. To challenge Santanella, Tyler needed 225 signatures; 299 were accepted. Santanella’s lawsuit seeks to invalidate the petition sheets allegedly provided early, which could leave Tyler short of the number needed to appear on the ballot.

In an email, Beth Jerez, the Democratic registrar, said she was unable to comment on the pending lawsuit. As it stands, primary voting is scheduled for Aug. 11, with early voting from Aug. 3 through Aug. 9.

Tyler was appointed town attorney by the Republican majority in 2023, but was replaced after Democrats won control of the Town Council last November. Santanella won his first term in 2024 and took office in January 2025, representing Enfield's 58th District.

Defending their process, Tyler’s campaign argued on Facebook that "Tom and his campaign simply followed the instructions and guidance that they were given in order to petition Tom onto the ballot."

Santanella, however, maintains it is a matter for the courts to weigh in on. “In Connecticut, we follow election laws," he said. "They are not optional."

Follow-up response: 

In a follow-up email response to EnfieldThings.com, David Alexander, speaking for the Tyler campaign, maintained that the campaign operated under an authorized process and was in full compliance with the directives they received.

"Tom and his campaign volunteers followed exactly the procedures and guidance that they were given," Alexander said. "They were told that both of Enfield's Registrars of Voter and the Enfield Town Clerk met and discussed the petition process with staff at the Connecticut Secretary of the State prior to Tom and his campaign volunteers taking out petition sheets."

According to Alexander, the campaign's timeline and methods relied directly on those official briefings and state documentation. He noted that local election officials verified and notarized the petition sheets.

"Tom and his campaign volunteers followed the process and guidance as was given to them," Alexander said, calling the lawsuit "unmerited."

 

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