Session’s End Sees Numerous Legislative Retirements

The 2017 General Assembly will have a very different makeup from the 2016 edition, just now finishing up its business at the State Capitol in Hartford.
Most significantly, the House of Representatives will have new leadership due to the retirement of House Speaker Brendan Sharkey (D-Hamden).

Sharkey is one of at least 23 state lawmakers, including many long-serving legislators, who will not seek re-election this fall.
That list includes six legislative committee chairs, two vice chairs, and six committee minority leaders.
More than a third of the bipartisan legislative committees, at a minimum, will now have new leadership in 2017.
The vacant Speaker position will trigger a process where a number of legislators will be jockeying to take over not only that position, but a variety of important roles such as deputy speakerships and caucus leaders.
Of course, the biggest potential change in this, and every legislative election, is whether the majority party in the House and Senate (currently the Democratic Party) will maintain their numbers.
Twenty-one House members—10 Republicans and 11 Democrats—are retiring, along with two members of the Senate, one from each party.
Republicans would win control of the Senate with a gain of four seats this fall, while Democrats would lose their majority in the House with a loss of 12 seats.
Both parties will work feverishly to preserve or change control of the General Assembly.
CBIA thanks those legislators making the decision not to run for re-election for their service to their communities and to the state.
The role of a state legislator is a tough one, and while we have differences on policy issues, we respect all those who chose to serve and have, on their own terms and for a variety of reasons, decided to not to run again.
We wish them all well.

Senate Retirees

• Senator Clark Chapin (R-New Milford)
• Senator Andrew Maynard (D-Stonington)

House Retirees

• Rep. Al Adinolfi (R-Cheshire)
• Rep. Mike Alberts (R-Woodstock)
• Rep. Bill Aman (R-South Windsor)
• Rep. Brian Becker (D-West Hartford)
• Rep. Paul Brycki (D-Griswold)
• Rep. Cecilia Buck-Taylor (R-New Milford)
• Rep. Dan Carter (R-Bethel); running against U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal
• Rep. Mary Fritz (D-Yalesville)
• Rep. Janice Giegler (R-Danbury)
• Rep. Claire Janowski (D-Vernon)
• Rep. Ed Jutila (D-Niantic)
• Rep. David Kiner (D-Enfield)
• Rep. Robert Megna (D-New Haven)
• Rep. Craig Miner (R-Litchfield); running for State Senate seat vacated by Clark Chapin
• Rep. Gayle Mulligan (R-Hebron)
• Rep. Frank Nicastro (D-Bristol)
• Rep. Selim Noujaim (R-Waterbury)
• Rep. Peggy Sayers (D-Windsor Locks)
• Rep. John Shaban (R-Redding); running against U.S. Congressman Jim Himes (D-CT 4th)
• House Speaker Brendan Sharkey (D-Hamden)
• Rep. Roberta Willis (D-Lakeville)