Kevin C. Kelly
Kevin Kelly | |
|---|---|
| Minority Leader of the Connecticut Senate[1] | |
| Assumed office January 6, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Len Fasano |
| Member of the Connecticut Senate from the 21st district | |
| Assumed office January 5, 2011[2] | |
| Preceded by | Dan Debicella |
| Constituency | represents Monroe (part), Seymour (part), Shelton (part), and Stratford (part) |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Cindy[3] |
| Children | 4[3] |
| Residence | Stratford |
| Alma mater | Assumption College (BA) Fairfield University (MA) University of Connecticut (JD)[3] |
Kevin C. Kelly is an American lawyer and politician from Connecticut. A Republican, he has been a member of the Connecticut Senate since 2011, elected from the 21st District.[4] He has been Senate Republican Minority Leader since 2021.
Education
Kelly earned a B.A. from Assumption College in 1982, an M.A. from Fairfield University in 1985, and a J.D. from University of Connecticut School of Law in 1997.[5]
Legal and political career
Kelly was formerly a town attorney.[5] He has a law office, Kevin Kelly & Associates, in Stratford,[5] specializing in elder law.[6] Before opening his legal practice, Kelly spent 13 years as an investigator for the Connecticut Department of Social Services.[6]
Since 2011, he has been a State Senator, representing part of the Naugatuck River Valley in the Connecticut Senate, including all of the town of Shelton and part of the towns of Monroe, Seymour, and Stratford.[5]
In 2010, Kelly defeated James Miron, a former mayor of Stratford. In 2012, Kelly ran unopposed for the seat. In 2014, Kelly won reelection, defeating Democrat Prez Palmer. In 2016, Kelly won a fourth term in the Senate, again defeating Palmer.[5] In 2018, Kelly won a fifth term in the Senate, defeating Democratic nominee Monica Tujak Brill.[5] He ran unopposed in 2020.[7]
Kelly has embraced Donald Trump; in 2016, he expressed unequivocal support for Trump's presidential candidacy.[8] In November 2020, the Senate Republican caucus elected Kelly to the post of Senate Minority Leader, replacing Len Fasano, who retired; Kelly appointed Paul Formica as his deputy.[9][10] As of 2020, Kelly was the ranking member of the Senate committees on Aging, Insurance and Real Estate, and Children, and a member of the Regulation Review Committee.[6]
In the state Senate, Kelly has championed efforts to make pregnancy a "qualifying life event" for purposes of health insurance enrollment; the legislation was supported by the Connecticut Commission on Women, Children and Seniors.[11]
In 2020, Kelly voted against a police reform and accountability bill.[12]
Personal life
Kelly is married and has four children and five grandchildren.[5]
References
- ^ "About Kevin". Connecticut Senate Republicans. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
- ^ "Kevin C. Kelly". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
- ^ a b c "Kevin Kelly's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
- ^ "Connecticut Senate races". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-01-08.
- ^ a b c d e f g John Burgeson, Kelly loses Stratford but prevails in the 21st, Associated Press (November 7, 2018).
- ^ a b c Ethan Fry, Kevin Kelly: Republican, candidate for state Senate District 21, CT Post (September 28, 2020).
- ^ Mark Pazniokas, Helped by Trump, Democrats gain in CT General Assembly, CT Mirror (November 4, 2020).
- ^ Majority of local GOP candidates won't take stand on Trump, Connecticut Post (October 17, 2016).
- ^ https://www.ctinsider.com/news/newstimes/article/Jacqueline-Smith-The-state-Republican-leader-who-15774043.php
- ^ Eugene Driscoll, Kevin Kelly Named Senate Republican Leader, Valley Independent Sentinel (November 6, 2020).
- ^ Bill Cummings, Stratford lawmaker seeks health care access for pregnant women, Associated Press (February 27, 2018).
- ^ Kevin Kelly, Op-Ed: Kelly talks opposition to police reform bill, Shelton Herald (July 29, 2020).
Members of the Connecticut State Senate | ||
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