Arunan Arulampalam | |
---|---|
Mayor of Hartford | |
Assumed office January 1, 2024 | |
Preceded by | Luke Bronin |
Personal details | |
Born | Bulawayo, Zimbabwe | September 15, 1985
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Liza |
Children | 5 |
Education | Emory University (BA) Quinnipiac University (JD) |
Arunan Arulampalam (born September 15, 1985) is an American politician who is the mayor of Hartford, Connecticut. A member of the Democratic Party, Arulampalam won the November 2023 election for mayor and was sworn in on January 1, 2024.
Arulampalam is from a Jaffna Tamil family. His parents fled Sri Lanka in July 1983, at the start of the Sri Lankan Civil War.[1][2] They moved to England, where they married, and settled in Zimbabwe. Arunan was born in Bulawayo in 1985.[1][3] The family relocated to California. Arulampalam earned his bachelor's degree from Emory University and earned his Juris Doctor degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law.[3]
In 2014, Arulampalam joined the law firm Updike, Kelly & Spellacy[4] and was an associate with the firm for five years.[3] Governor Ned Lamont appointed Arulampalam to be a deputy commissioner in the Department of Consumer Protection. In July 2021, he became the chief executive officer of the Hartford Land Bank, a non-profit aiming to reduce urban blight.[3][5]
In October 2017, Arulampalam announced that he was exploring a run for Connecticut State Treasurer, as long as the incumbent, Denise Nappier, opted not to run for reelection.[6] He received enough support at the Connecticut Democratic Party convention to qualify for the primary election ballot, but ended his campaign in May 2018, citing his desire to avoid a divisive campaign.[7][8]
In January 2023, Arulampalam announced his candidacy in the November election for mayor of Hartford.[9] He won the party's endorsement at their nominating convention.[10] Arulampalam defeated state senator John Fonfara and former state senator Eric Coleman in the Democratic Party primary election in September,[11] receiving 39.6% of the vote.[12] He won the November general election with 69% of the vote[13] and was sworn into office on January 1, 2024.[14]
Arulampalam and his wife, Liza, have five children and live in a formerly blighted house in Hartford's Frog Hollow.[15][16] He is a naturalized U.S. citizen.[17]