House Speaker Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, filed papers Tuesday that make him a candidate for reelection in 2026 and confirm his plans to seek an unprecedented fourth term as speaker in 2027.

A reelection filing is routine for anyone else in the House, and a dozen incumbents already have done so. But for Ritter it reflects a conclusion that he retains support to continue as speaker, even as his decision frustrates the ambitions of others.

“I’ve had a lot of conversations with with members, and obviously, I’m running again based upon having the support to do so,” Ritter said. “I’m humbled by it, and, you know, I am mindful that this is a unique situation.”

His decision is not a surprise: In a Connecticut Mirror profile published a year ago, when Ritter was poised to become the first three-term speaker in two decades, he publicly broached the idea of a fourth term.

Connecticut only has had three speakers to hold the position for more than two terms. The first was his father, Thomas D. Ritter, followed by his immediate successor, Moira K. Lyons. The third is Matt Ritter.

Ritter’s decision means that the aspirations of House Majority Leader Jason Rojas, D-East Hartford, who is Ritter’s heir apparent, and the three women vying to succeed Rojas as majority leader will be pushed back two years.

“No question, there’s got to be frustration, because this does create a log jam,” said House Minority Leader Vincent J. Candelora, R-North Branford. 

But Candelora, who has a constructive working relationship with the speaker, offered the same assessment as Democrats who were hoping to move up: Ritter has been an attentive leader of a diverse caucus, providing little fuel for a challenge.

“I think he’s broadly respected in the House chamber,” Candelora said. “Obviously, if he didn’t think he had the votes, he wouldn’t have filed.”

The speaker is elected by the full House, and the last speaker denied another term was defeated by the Republican minority voting as a bloc with a group of Democratic dissidents in January 1989.

Democrats currently hold a 100-49 advantage in the House, with two vacancies created by the resignation of one Democrat and death of another.

Rojas said he and Ritter will continue as a team.

“I’m filing and running again, and running for majority leader again with Matt as the speaker,” Rojas said. “As I told him, there’s something’s more important than political goals for myself — other personal relationships and the health of our caucus. Matt’s done a good job, as I said last year.”

All six top leadership posts in the General Assembly are held by men: Ritter, Rojas and Candelora in the House; and President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney of New Haven, Majority Leader Bob Duff of Norwalk and Minority Leader Stephen Harding of Brookfield in the Senate.

Democratic Reps. Maria Horn of Salisbury, Cristin McCarthy-Vahey of Fairfield and Kate Farrar of West Hartford praised Ritter’s leadership while affirming a belief that periodic change was healthy for the institution.

“I think it’s not surprising news to a lot of us, and I also think that we as an institution have to be really careful about what that means for us,” McCarthy Vahey said. “And I say all that with deep respect and appreciation for the speaker and the leadership that he has brought to the chamber.”

“Ritter has been a good speaker,” Horn said. “He has been a good consensus builder, a good sort of calming of the waters. He’s built good bipartisan relationships with the minority. Those are all positive things, and I support his leadership on that front.”

Horn said it is important for the House to find other ways to amplify a diversity of voices if the leadership will not be changing. She believes Ritter is open to those conversations.

Horn, as co-chair of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, is one of two women in the House overseeing the key money committees. Rep. Toni Walker, D-New Haven, is the other, as Appropriations co-chair.

She said both were consulted at length as the leadership drafted legislation in a recent special session that added $500 million to the state’s budget reserves.

“Ritter has provided really valuable leadership for our caucus, through COVID, through this Trump chaos,” Farrar said. “And I also think there’s great value in regenerative and new leadership.”