Westport’s First Select Women, Republican Jen Tooker, suspends her campaign for governor of Connecticut on Sept. 26, a year before Connecticut’s 2026 election for governor is set to take place on Nov.3, 2026.
Tooker announced her campaign suspension in an Instagram post.
“I entered this race to be the next Governor of Connecticut as a true outsider who feels the call to serve the state,” Tooker wrote. “However, after very serious thought and deliberation, it has become clear to me that the voters need more time to get to know me and I need more time to know them.”
Tooker posted later that although she suspended her campaign she still hopes to remain on the ballot in 2026.
“She has at least two options if she wants to stay on the ballot,” AP U.S. Government and Politics teacher Robert Shamberg said. “First, she can be endorsed by a third party if they don’t currently have a candidate. […] Second, she can be a write-in candidate, which is a simple application process. Both of these options,; however, provide little chance of becoming Governor of Connecticut.”
Tooker has been the first select woman of Westport since late 2021 and before that Tooker served on both Westport’s Board of Education (2011-2013) and Board of Finance (2013-2017).
“Jen Tooker always said that Westport should be the greatest place to live, work, shop, and learn in,” Dan Woog, founder and executive editor, “06880” blog said. “She has tried to promote the town as a statewide hub for innovation, as shown by her Startup Westport initiative.”
Even though Tooker is no longer running for governor she will still not remain the First Select Woman of Westport. There will be an election held on Nov.4, 2025 with Kevin Christie as the Democrat, Don O’Day as the Republican and David Rosenwaks as the Independent for the First Selectman of Westport. The first debate between the candidates for selectmen is set to take place on Oct.16.
