Biographies - Connecticut Elective State Officers
Connecticut Elective State Officers
Ned Lamont
Governor
Ned Lamont was sworn into office as the 89th governor of Connecticut on January 9, 2019. He is currently serving his second term as governor, which he began on January 4, 2023.
Lamont got involved in public service shortly after college, founding a weekly newspaper in a town hit by the loss of its largest employer. Covering town meetings and the Board of Selectmen, he helped to bring voice and transparency to a community working to recover from job losses and reinvent itself. Later, as a member of both the Greenwich Board of Selectmen and the Board of Estimate and Taxation, Lamont worked in a bipartisan effort to safeguard a multimillion-dollar budget and deliver results for constituents. For four years, Lamont also served as Chairman of the State Investment Advisory Council, overseeing a multibillion-dollar state pension fund.
Lamont started his own company, taking on the large and established giants of the telecom industry. Under his vision and stewardship, the company grew to serve over 400 of America's largest college campuses and 1 million college students across the nation.
As a volunteer teacher, Lamont sought to give back to his community by volunteering at Harding High School in Bridgeport. In an effort to spark entrepreneurship, Lamont taught students about the inner-workings of small businesses, bringing in local businesspeople to share their own experiences, and helping to place students in local internships. Lamont is on the faculty of Central Connecticut State University as an adjunct professor of political science and philosophy, where he also helped to found a popular business start-up competition. In early 2009, he helped lead an initiative to bring together Connecticut leaders from across the business, nonprofit, and labor sectors to unite in a strategy to create new jobs in the state.
As a candidate for United States Senate in 2006, he stood up for his convictions and challenged the political establishment. Taking on long-time incumbent Joe Lieberman for the Democratic nomination for United States Senate, Lamont campaigned on the platform that wars in the Middle East were draining resources and attention that could be better focused on pressing domestic issues like the economy, education, and healthcare. As a private citizen, he fought for the issues in which he believes, serving on the boards of Mercy Corps and the Conservation Services Group, non-profits which seek to make a difference in the humanitarian and renewable energy fields, respectively.
Lamont was born on January 3, 1954, in Washington, D.C. to Camille Helene and Edward Miner Lamont. The eldest of three children, he attended Phillips Exeter Academy, and served as president of the student newspaper, The Exonian. After graduating Phillips Exeter in 1972, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Harvard College in 1976 and a Master of Business Administration from the Yale School of Management in 1980.
Lamont married his wife Annie on September 10, 1983. They have three children: Emily, Lindsay, and Teddy.
Susan Bysiewicz
Lieutenant Governor
Sworn in on January 4, 2023, Susan Bysiewicz is serving her second term as Connecticut’s 109th Lieutenant Governor.
During their time in office, Lt. Governor Bysiewicz and Governor Ned Lamont have made significant investments to support the state’s future and the lives of each resident by:
• Passing seven bipartisan, balanced budgets, which include the largest personal income tax cut in state history.
• Providing significant increases for K-12 and special education funding and creating a first-in-the-nation Early Childcare Endowment, opening 20,000 free spots for children and families.
• Raising Connecticut’s minimum wage from $10.10 to $16.94 by implementing a law that indexes annual increases to the federal Employment Cost Index.
• Expanding and administering one of the nation’s most comprehensive paid family and medical leave programs, which has delivered more than $1.23 billion in benefits to over 165,000 Connecticut workers since inception.
• Protecting access to reproductive healthcare through the first-in-the-nation Reproductive Freedom Defense Act and passing measures that expand access to birth control and emergency contraception.
• Investing in the Time-To-Own program, which has provided down payment assistance to more than 8,391 first time homebuyers across 149 towns.
• Implementing a landmark gun safety law that includes provisions to prevent community gun violence, stop mass shootings, avoid firearm-related accidents, add protections for domestic violence victims, and avert suicides.
• Launching the Social Connection Campaign to combat the epidemic of loneliness and social isolation in Connecticut.
• Honoring Vietnam War-era and Korean War-era veterans by conducting ceremonies to thank them for their service in over 120 towns.
• Implementing policies that positioned Connecticut as a leader in the nation in COVID recovery – enacting a vaccine rollout that led the state to be the first in the nation to vaccinate more than 70% of adults, and helping small businesses to navigate the challenges they faced during the pandemic.
Lt. Governor Bysiewicz is continuing her commitment to economic growth that made her a leading voice for Connecticut residents and small businesses while she served as Secretary of the State from 1999 to 2011. As Secretary of the State, she helped thousands of businesses grow, registered thousands of voters, cut bureaucratic red tape, honored veterans, and fought to keep elections fair.
As a state representative in the Connecticut General Assembly, representing the towns of Middletown, Middlefield, and Durham, Bysiewicz wrote legislation to ban dangerous “drive-through” mastectomies and ensure that women being treated for breast cancer had proper care. She also fought political patronage and wrote the law to ban lobbyists from giving gifts to legislators.
As a business lawyer and a job creator, she has helped over sixty companies access millions of dollars in capital, expand their businesses, and create thousands of jobs in Connecticut.
Lt. Governor Bysiewicz was raised the proud granddaughter of immigrants who came to Connecticut from Poland and Greece with nothing but hopes for a better future. After many years of factory work, they saved enough to buy a farm in Middletown that became Bysiewicz's childhood home. Growing up and working on the farm, she and her siblings learned the values of hard work, education, and persistence.
Lt. Governor Bysiewicz graduated from Middletown High School, Yale University and Duke Law School. She is the author of Ella: A Biography of Ella Grasso, Connecticut’s 83rd governor.
Bysiewicz and her husband David Donaldson reside in Middletown.
Stephanie Thomas
Secretary of the State
“Making government more accessible, elections more secure, and civic participation part of everyday life.”
Stephanie Thomas was sworn in as Connecticut’s 75th Secretary of the State on January 4, 2023, making history as the first Black person elected to the office. She leads one of Connecticut’s oldest constitutional offices—established in 1639—and one of its most wide-ranging, where she is responsible for overseeing elections, managing the state’s official business registry, and serving as the official state record keeper.
Since taking office, she has led a sweeping modernization of Connecticut’s elections, including securing a historic $20 million investment for the purchase of new voting tabulators and successfully implementing early in-person voting. Collaborating with federal, state, and local partners, she has also advanced election security by providing training, guidance, and resources to Registrars and other local election officials. Following Connecticut voters’ 2024 approval of a constitutional amendment expanding absentee voting access, Secretary Thomas and her office are overseeing the implementation of universal absentee voting statewide beginning in 2026. Under her leadership, Connecticut has established an even stronger foundation as a state that runs transparent, bipartisan elections grounded in public trust.
Her leadership has also elevated her voice on the national stage. In 2025, she was invited to testify before Congress on voter access and election security, where she highlighted Connecticut’s approach as a model for balancing access with integrity. She serves on the Executive Board of the National Association of Secretaries of State and has been a leading voice in national conversations on election administration, cybersecurity, and the role of local election officials in safeguarding the voting process. She is frequently sought out by the media to explain complex election issues in clear, practical terms and to translate how policy decisions will impact voters’ everyday experiences.
Known for her collaborative, nonpartisan approach, Secretary Thomas works closely with Connecticut’s 169 municipalities—where bipartisan local officials administer elections—to ensure consistency, security, and accountability across the state. She has emphasized training, real-time support, and strong state-local partnerships as the foundation of a resilient election system, while also championing civic education as essential to sustaining public trust.
Beyond elections, Secretary Thomas has brought a strong focus to Connecticut’s business community. A former small business owner, she championed business-friendly legislation designed to simplify and modernize online business filings, streamline the trade name application process, and reduce certain filing fees. She also helped enact legislation to protect Connecticut businesses from fraud and identity theft. In addition, she launched a monthly e-newsletter that provides businesses of all sizes helpful information on funding opportunities and training resources. In 2026, she became the 7th Secretary in the United States, and the first in the Northeast, to establish a program to help businesses identify, report, and prevent human trafficking.
A defining priority of her tenure as Secretary has been to expand civic engagement beyond Election Day, which has resulted in the launch of innovative initiatives like the Civically Engaged Organization (CEO) business ambassador program, Power of Civics online learning platform, and NextGen Elections program to train college students as poll workers. Through community conversations, public events, and statewide outreach designed to foster dialogue between the public and government, she has focused on meeting people where they are to build trust, increase understanding, and encourage year-round participation in civic life.
Prior to her election as Secretary of the State, Secretary Thomas built a more than 30-year career as a nonprofit advisor, small business owner, and public servant. She represented Norwalk, Wilton, and Westport as State Representative for the 143rd District, where she developed a reputation for thoughtful, solutions-oriented leadership.
She holds a B.A. from New York University and an M.S. in Nonprofit Management from The New School.
Erick Russell
Treasurer
Erick Russell was sworn in as Connecticut’s 84th State Treasurer on January 4, 2023, and is currently serving his first term. As Treasurer, he oversees the state’s pension funds and trusts, cash and debt management, and unclaimed property program. He is also trustee of the Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET), which helps families save for future education costs, and administers the Firefighters Cancer Relief Fund, the Second Injury Fund, the Municipal Investment Trust, and ABLE CT, a tax-advantaged savings program for people with disabilities.
Under Treasurer Russell’s leadership, the Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds (CRPTF) have grown to nearly $63.0 billion in assets through Fiscal Year 2025. He has prioritized economic growth and strong fiscal stewardship, responsible financing of infrastructure and long-term investments, and productive relationships with credit rating agencies and global investors.
Drawing on his own upbringing, Treasurer Russell has helped launch several first-in-the-nation initiatives aimed at expanding economic opportunity and participation. In 2023, he secured funding for and launched CT Baby Bonds, a landmark program designed to combat generational poverty by investing $3,200 on behalf of every Connecticut baby whose birth is covered by HUSKY Health, the state’s Medicaid program. He also serves as trustee of Connecticut’s Early Childhood Education Endowment, which seeks to provide a sustainable source of funding for high-quality, affordable early care and education for every Connecticut child from birth to age five. In addition, Treasurer Russell is spearheading an effort to create a national Safe Harbor network--a privately financed, state-managed initiative that helps cover travel expenses for individuals who must leave states that restrict reproductive or gender-affirming care to states like Connecticut, where they can access the safe, legal, and compassionate care they need.
Born and raised in New Haven, Treasurer Russell learned the value of hard work in his family’s small convenience store. He became the first in his family to graduate from college, earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Haven and a Juris Doctor from the University of Connecticut School of Law. Prior to his election as State Treasurer, he was a partner at the law firm Pullman & Comley, where he represented local and state governments in financing infrastructure projects, managing debt, and restructuring pension obligations.
Treasurer Russell has been a proponent of inclusion and equity, encouraging people to engage in the decision-making process of government and welcoming new voices into the conversation. In 2022, he became the first Black out LGBTQ person in American history to win an election for statewide office and he embraces his role as a mentor, particularly for young Black and LGBTQ+ individuals. Treasurer Russell continues to live in New Haven with his husband, Christopher Lyddy.
Sean Scanlon
Comptroller
Sean Scanlon began his term as Connecticut's 67th State Comptroller in 2023.
The son of a police officer and small business owner, Sean attended Guilford public schools and worked his way through high school and Boston College.
From 2015 to 2023, Sean served as the State Representative for the 98th District in the Connecticut General Assembly. As chairman of the legislature's Insurance Committee, Sean wrote and passed legislation protecting people with pre-existing conditions from insurance discrimination, established the lowest monthly co-pay cap for insulin in the nation at $25, prevented insurance companies from covering mental health differently than physical health, required health insurance plans to cover ten "Essential Health Benefits," and created Connecticut's first prescription drug price transparency law. During his fourth and final term, Sean served as Chair of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding committee where he led the fight to create tax relief for working families and worked with Governor Lamont to pass the largest tax cut in state history.
During his first term as Comptroller, Sean successfully reformed Connecticut's municipal and disability pension systems, strengthened the benefits of first responders, created the state's first prescription drug discount card, dramatically expanded open enrollment in Connecticut's small business retirement plan MyCTSavings and championed efforts to make health care more accessible and affordable.
Sean lives in Guilford with his wife Meghan, who is the President & CEO of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and their two sons.
William Tong
Attorney General
William Tong is the 25th Attorney General to serve Connecticut since the office was established by the state constitution in 1897. He first took office in 2019 and is currently serving his second term.
Attorney General Tong is a national leader in many of the most consequential lawsuits and investigations in our country today, including bipartisan, multistate efforts to hold the addiction industry accountable for their role in the opioid crisis; to restore fair competition and prices in the generic drug industry; to hold social media giants accountable for the harms they may cause to kids and young people; to stop robocall scammers; and to ensure corporations safeguard our personal information from misuse and respect consumers’ rights regarding the collection and use of their information.
Attorney General Tong previously practiced for 18 years as a litigator in both state and federal courts. He served for 12 years as a State Representative in the Connecticut General Assembly, where he served as House Chairman of the Judiciary Committee as well as the Banking Committee.
During his service in the legislature, Attorney General Tong was the author and driver of several major Connecticut laws, helping lead the state’s efforts against gun violence and domestic violence, among many other critical laws and initiatives.
A Connecticut native, Attorney General Tong grew up in the Hartford area and attended schools in West Hartford. He graduated from Phillips Academy Andover, Brown University, and the University of Chicago Law School.
Attorney General Tong is the oldest of five children and grew up working side-by-side with his immigrant parents in their family’s Chinese restaurant. He and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Stamford with their three children and way too many pets. Elizabeth is the Vice President of Tax for North America for Diageo Corporation. In quieter moments, Attorney General Tong likes to fly fish (and tie flies), try all the great foods and restaurants across Connecticut and is an amateur carpenter and cook.
He is the first Asian American elected to statewide office in Connecticut history, and the first Chinese American to be elected Attorney General nationwide.