# John Kissel

John Kissel is a Republican member of the Connecticut Senate for district 7.

- Party: Republican
- Seat: Connecticut Senate, district 7
- Serving since: 1993-01-06
- Current term: CT 2025–26 session
- Open States ID: ocd-person/da65a738-37c7-41c1-8cd4-abae65ef0167

Source: https://americaspoliticalpulse.com/p/da65a738-37c7-41c1-8cd4-abae65ef0167 (America’s Political Pulse, Polarization Research Lab), data through 2026-10-27. Data under CC BY 4.0. Cite as: Westwood, Sean J., and Yphtach Lelkes. 2024. America's Political Pulse [data set].

## Headline

Kissel voted against the majority of Connecticut Senate Republicans 33 times; party unity 90.0%, in the bottom 5% of the Connecticut Senate (average 97.9%).

## Ideology (CSIP)

CSIP score +0.23 (standard error 0.02), from 810 donors and 392 roll calls. Negative is left of 0, positive right of it, on one scale for every official. 30% of State Senate Republicans score lower.

## Votes (CT 2025–26 session)

863 roll calls. Attendance 98.7% (Connecticut Senate 97.8%). Party unity 90.0% (97.9%). 33 votes against the party majority.

Key votes:

- 2026-05-06 · voted yea · Senate Roll Call Vote · HB 5385 AN ACT ESTABLISHING A TASK FORCE TO STUDY UNDUE DELAY IN WORKERS' COMPENSATION CLAIMS BY POLICE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS. · pass · https://openstates.org/ct/bills/2026/HB5385/
- 2026-05-06 · voted nay · Senate Roll Call Vote · HB 5001 AN ACT CONCERNING ABSENTEE VOTING FOR ALL AND VARIOUS OTHER REFORMS RELATED TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF ELECTIONS. · pass · https://openstates.org/ct/bills/2026/HB5001/
- 2026-05-06 · voted yea · Senate Roll Call Vote · HB 5043 AN ACT CONCERNING CONVERTIBLE PISTOLS, UNFINISHED FRAMES OR UNFINISHED LOWER RECEIVERS, VOLUNTARY RELINQUISHMENT OF FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION AND… · fail · https://openstates.org/ct/bills/2026/HB5043/
- 2026-05-06 · voted yea · Senate Roll Call Vote · HB 5155 AN ACT CONCERNING PESTICIDE REPORTING MODERNIZATION. · pass · https://openstates.org/ct/bills/2026/HB5155/
- 2026-05-06 · voted yea · Senate Roll Call Vote · HB 5001 AN ACT CONCERNING ABSENTEE VOTING FOR ALL AND VARIOUS OTHER REFORMS RELATED TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF ELECTIONS. · fail · https://openstates.org/ct/bills/2026/HB5001/
- 2026-05-06 · voted yea · Senate Roll Call Vote · HB 5331 AN ACT CONCERNING THE AIR PERMITS OF CERTAIN CREMATORIES. · pass · https://openstates.org/ct/bills/2026/HB5331/
- 2026-05-06 · voted yea · Senate Roll Call Vote · HB 5557 AN ACT CONCERNING A PLAN TO REVISE THE DEFINITION OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF WORKING GROUPS ON AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE… · pass · https://openstates.org/ct/bills/2026/HB5557/
- 2026-05-06 · voted yea · Senate Roll Call Vote · HB 5573 AN ACT CONVEYING A PARCEL OF STATE LAND TO THE CITY OF TORRINGTON. · pass · https://openstates.org/ct/bills/2026/HB5573/
- 2026-05-06 · voted nay · Senate Roll Call Vote · SB 477 AN ACT CONCERNING THE FAILURE TO FILE FOR CERTAIN GRAND LIST EXEMPTIONS, A MUNICIPAL OPTION TO ABATE DELINQUENT PROPERTY TAXES ON CERTAIN PARCELS OF… · pass · https://openstates.org/ct/bills/2026/SB477/
- 2026-05-06 · voted yea · Senate Roll Call Vote · HB 5143 AN ACT REQUIRING TRAINING FOR HOMEMAKER-COMPANION AGENCY EMPLOYEES. · pass · https://openstates.org/ct/bills/2026/HB5143/

## Legislation (CT 2025–26 session)

Sponsored 59 bills: 59 reached committee, 44 passed one chamber, 42 passed both, 41 became law. Cosponsored 0. 74.6% of sponsored bills got out of committee (Connecticut Senate 39.9%; rank 4 of 35).

Recent sponsored bills:

- HB 5577: AN ACT AMENDING A CONVEYANCE OF A PARCEL OF LAND TO THE TOWN OF SOMERS. (became law, 2026-06-04) https://openstates.org/ct/bills/2026/HB5577/
- HB 5447: AN ACT IMPLEMENTING RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE TRANSFORMING CHILDREN'S BEHAVIORAL HEALTH POLICY AND PLANNING COMMITTEE. (became law, 2026-05-19) https://openstates.org/ct/bills/2026/HB5447/
- SB 292: AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEFINITION OF "CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE MATERIAL". (passed one chamber, 2026-05-06) https://openstates.org/ct/bills/2026/SB292/
- SB 475: AN ACT CONCERNING JUDICIAL BRANCH OPERATIONS. (became law, 2026-06-04) https://openstates.org/ct/bills/2026/SB475/
- SB 296: AN ACT CONCERNING RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER PROTECTION WITH RESPECT TO THE CONNECTICUT UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES ACT AND SPORTS WAGERING. (became law, 2026-05-26) https://openstates.org/ct/bills/2026/SB296/
- SB 391: AN ACT CONCERNING THE AVAILABILITY OF BREAST CANCER SCREENING, DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT SERVICES FOR WOMEN COMMITTED TO THE CUSTODY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF… (became law, 2026-06-04) https://openstates.org/ct/bills/2026/SB391/
- SB 259: AN ACT CONCERNING FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION. (became law, 2026-05-07) https://openstates.org/ct/bills/2026/SB259/
- HB 5311: AN ACT CONCERNING THE NONISSUANCE OF A STANDING CRIMINAL PROTECTIVE ORDER IN THE CASE OF A FAMILY VIOLENCE CRIME. (became law, 2026-05-26) https://openstates.org/ct/bills/2026/HB5311/
- HB 5567: AN ACT CONCERNING HEALTH CARE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION FACILITIES. (became law, 2026-05-26) https://openstates.org/ct/bills/2026/HB5567/
- SB 502: AN ACT CONCERNING DISCRETIONARY TRANSFER FROM JUVENILE COURT TO ADULT COURT. (in committee, 2026-04-13) https://openstates.org/ct/bills/2026/SB502/

## Campaign money (2026 cycle)

Itemized receipts $20.9K (State Senate Republicans median $46.2K). 96% of itemized individual money came from in state. Aggregates only; no individual donors.

## Links

- Official site: https://ctsenaterepublicans.com/home-kissel/
- X: https://x.com/KisselforSenate
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/senatorkissel/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/senatorjohnkissel/

Full profile, with every chart and the methods: https://americaspoliticalpulse.com/p/da65a738-37c7-41c1-8cd4-abae65ef0167