Gary A. Winfield (born March 11, 1974) is an American politician from the state of
Connecticut and member of the
Democratic Party. He serves in the
Connecticut State Senate, representing the 10th district. From 2009 to 2014 he served as a
State Representative
A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system.
Two federations literally use the term "state legislature":
* The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...
from the 94th Assembly District. Winfield served as Deputy Majority Leader in his tenure as a State Representative.
Biography
Winfield was raised in
The Bronx, a
Borough of
New York City, by his mother.
[ He graduated from Westbury High School in Old Westbury, New York.][ He served in the United States Navy from 1994 to 2000 and became a Nuclear Electrician's Mate. He attended Southern Connecticut State University from 2003 to 2006 and received a bachelor of science in political science. He worked for the American Association of University Professors.][
]
Career
Shortly after entering the house Winfield was the lead sponsor of a bill to abolish the death penalty in Connecticut. The freshman's efforts led to the first successful passage of the bill in either chamber of the legislature. While Winfield was successful in getting the bill to the governor's desk it was vetoed. Several years later a subsequent attempt led to the passage and signing by then Governor Dan Malloy.
Winfield was also the driving force behind a bill which put in place protections for Transgender citizens in public accommodation which would later b
used against him
in his run for his senate seat. He was also the force behind th
TRUST ACT
which was the first statewide passage of such a bill in the country, several police accountability bills, the first in the natio
racial and ethnic impact statement on demand
without restrictions, and prosecutorial transparency bill along with several other progressive wins.
Winfield is the first non attorney to serve as co-chair of the state’s Judiciary Committee.
Winfield, along with state rep, Patricia Dillon, proposed a bill which would declare pizza
Pizza (, ) is a dish of Italian origin consisting of a usually round, flat base of leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomatoes, cheese, and often various other ingredients (such as various types of sausage, anchovies, mushrooms, onions ...
the official state food of Connecticut. Justin Elicker, the mayor of New Haven, testified in support of the bill.
Electoral history
Winfield was first elected to the Connecticut House in 2008.2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
, he declared his candidacy for Mayor of New Haven, but he dropped out and endorsed Toni Harp, a member of the Connecticut Senate.
Following Harp's election as mayor, Winfield declared his candidacy in the special election to succeed Harp in representing the 10th district in the Connecticut Senate. He won with 75% of the vote.
Personal
Born as a Catholic, Winfield now identifies as Baptist.[ He met Natalie, his first wife, in high school.]
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Winfield, Gary
1970s births
Living people
People from the Bronx
United States Navy sailors
Democratic Party members of the Connecticut House of Representatives
People from Old Westbury, New York
21st-century American politicians
Democratic Party Connecticut state senators
Southern Connecticut State University alumni