Both candidates for the 20th District state Senate race have secured two ballot lines for the Nov. 8 election.

Democrat Martha Marx of New London and Republican Jerry Labriola Jr. of Old Saybrook recently garnered third party endorsements.

At stake is control of the seat currently held by Republican Paul Formica. He announced he would not be seeking a fifth term back in January.

Marx – a registered nurse, president of the union AFT Local 5119, and member of the New London City Council – has been endorsed by the Working Families Party.

“The working families party believes in what I’ve been fighting for tirelessly as a nurse and union leader,” she said Wednesday. “They championed a $15 dollar minimum wage and fair workplace conditions, just to name a few. I’m honored to have their endorsement and I’m committed to making the lives of working families better.”

She was defeated twice by Formica in the past two elections, losing by 1,175 votes of the more than 50,000 votes cast in 2020.

Labriola has been endorsed by the Independent Party of Connecticut. A partner with the Naugatuck-based Labriola Law Group, the attorney served for 14 years in a variety of positions with the Connecticut Republican Party and was the party chairman when Formica won his first term as senator in 2014.

“This entire campaign I have pledged to be a middle of the road, common sense senator who will be an independent voice for our district,” Labriola said in a news release. “It is clear that with this endorsement, the Independent Party of Connecticut believes that I am the best candidate in this race to be that Independent voice.”

He last ran for office in 2010, when he was defeated by Democrat Rosa DeLauro in a race for the 3rd District Congressional seat.

Marx was endorsed unanimously by the Democrats and Labriola by the Republicans in May.

The district covers Bozrah, East Lyme, New London, Old Lyme, Salem, Waterford and parts of Old Saybrook and Montville.