Penny Bacchiochi (born ) is an American Republican

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

, who 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 ...

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

. She was first elected to the House in 2002 and was re-elected in 2004 and 2006. She unsuccessfully sought the office of

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

in the 2014 election.https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=792368 As representative of the 52nd House District, Bacchiochi served the rural northeastern towns of

Stafford Stafford () is a market town and the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies about north of Wolverhampton, south of Stoke-on-Trent and northwest of Birmingham. The town had a population of 70,145 in t ...

and Somers, both of which are located in

Tolland County Tolland County is a county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of the 2020 census, its population was 149,788. It is incorporated into 13 towns and was originally formed on 13 October 1785 from portions of eastern Ha ...

. She maintains her residence in Stafford Springs.

Personal background

Raised in Stafford, Bacchiochi graduated from Stafford High School in 1979 and later received degrees from Becker Junior College, where she majored in

social work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social work ...

, and the

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Hart ...

, where she majored in

public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. P ...

and

marketing Marketing is the process of exploring, creating, and delivering value to meet the needs of a target market in terms of goods and services; potentially including selection of a target audience; selection of certain attributes or themes to emph ...

. She also completed some graduate-level work in

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...

at Saint Joseph College. Aside from being a state representative, Bacchiochi has worked in the

housing Housing, or more generally, living spaces, refers to the construction and assigned usage of houses or buildings individually or collectively, for the purpose of shelter. Housing ensures that members of society have a place to live, whether it ...

field for more than 25 years. She owns a

real estate Real estate is property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this (also) an item of real property, (more general ...

and property management company based in Stafford. Before becoming a state legislator, Bacchiochi served on several town committees in Stafford, including the Planning and Zoning Committee. She was also active with the Republican Town Committees in Stafford and Somers, including serving as chair of the Somers RTC. A widow, who has since remarried, Bacchiochi was a single mother to two young sons. She is also the daughter of Allen Bacchiochi, former first selectman of Stafford.

Role at legislature

Bacchiochi was the House's

ranking member In United States politics, a ranking member is the most senior member of a congressional or state legislative committee from the minority party. On many committees the ranking minority member, along with the Chair, serve as ''ex officio'' members ...

, or leader of the Republican delegation, on the

Connecticut General Assembly The Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is a bicameral body composed of the 151-member House of Representatives and the 36-member Senate. It meets in the state capital, Hartford. Th ...

's Planning and Development Committee. She was also the ranking member of the Internship Committee, which she previously chaired, and oversaw the Connecticut Legislative Internship Program for the House Republican Office. In addition, she was a member of the Public Safety and Security Committee and participated in bill screening for the House Republicans. She previously served on the Select Committee for Housing and the Commerce Committee.

Political stances

Bacchiochi is a fiscal conservative and has offered a viable "No Tax Increase Budget" each year since 2007. Regarding other conservative stances, Bacchiochi is a member of the

National Rifle Association The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group based in the United States. Founded in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA has become a prominent Gun politics in the United States, gun rights ...

, and voted against the state contracting reform legislation put forth by Democrats. She continues to support a no- tax-increase state budget plans and has cosponsored legislation to make

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

the official language of Connecticut. Bacchiochi is active with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC),

Council of State Governments The Council of State Governments (CSG) is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization in the United States that serves all three branches of state government. Founded in 1933 by Colorado state Sen. Henry W. Toll, CSG is a region-based forum that ...

, Women in Government, and the

National Conference of State Legislatures The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), established in 1975, is a "nonpartisan public officials’ association composed of sitting state legislators" from the states, territories and commonwealths of the United States. Background ...

, and served as the Connecticut State Co-Chair of the

Rudy Giuliani Rudolph William Louis Giuliani (, ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 107th Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney General from 1981 to 198 ...

Presidential Committee.

References

External links

State Representative Penny Bacchiochi
- official website
Penny Bacchiochi for State Representative
- campaign website
Project Vote Smart: Penny Bacchiochi

Republicans for Compassionate Access
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bacchiochi, Penny 1960s births Living people Becker College alumni University of Connecticut alumni Republican Party members of the Connecticut House of Representatives Women state legislators in Connecticut People from Stafford, Connecticut 21st-century American women politicians

Personal background

Role at legislature

Political stances

See also

References

External links