Kevin Kelly
Minority Leader of the Connecticut Senate
Assumed office
January 6, 2021
Preceded byLen Fasano
Member of the Connecticut Senate
from the 21st district
Assumed office
January 5, 2011
Preceded byDan Debicella
Personal details
Political partyRepublican
SpouseCindy
Children4
EducationAssumption University (BA)
Fairfield University (MA)
University of Connecticut, Hartford (JD)

Kevin C. Kelly is an American lawyer and politician from Connecticut. A Republican, he has been a member of the Connecticut State Senate since 2011, elected from the 21st District.[1][2] He has been Senate Republican Minority Leader since 2021.[3]

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.[4][5]

Legal and political career

Kelly was formerly a town attorney.[4] He has a law office, Kevin Kelly & Associates, in Stratford,[4] 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]

In 1992, Kelly ran for the Connecticut House of Representatives in the 121st district. However, he lost the election to Terry Backer.[7]

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.[4]

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.[4] In 2018, Kelly won a fifth term in the Senate, defeating Democratic nominee Monica Tujak Brill.[4] He ran unopposed in 2020.[8]

In 2016, Kelly expressed support for Trump's presidential candidacy.[9] 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.[10][11] 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.[12]

In 2020, Kelly voted against a police reform and accountability bill.[13]

Personal life

Kelly is married and has four children and five grandchildren.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Connecticut Senate races". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-01-08.
  2. ^ "Kevin C. Kelly". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  3. ^ "About Kevin". Connecticut Senate Republicans. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g John Burgeson, Kelly loses Stratford but prevails in the 21st, Associated Press (November 7, 2018).
  5. ^ "Kevin Kelly's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  6. ^ a b c Ethan Fry, Kevin Kelly: Republican, candidate for state Senate District 21, CT Post (September 28, 2020).
  7. ^ "Our Campaigns - CT State House 121 Race - Nov 03, 1992".
  8. ^ Mark Pazniokas, Helped by Trump, Democrats gain in CT General Assembly, CT Mirror (November 4, 2020).
  9. ^ Majority of local GOP candidates won't take stand on Trump, Connecticut Post (October 17, 2016).
  10. ^ "Jacqueline Smith: The state Republican leader who wanted to be a catcher". 4 December 2020.
  11. ^ Eugene Driscoll, Kevin Kelly Named Senate Republican Leader, Valley Independent Sentinel (November 6, 2020).
  12. ^ Bill Cummings, Stratford lawmaker seeks health care access for pregnant women, Associated Press (February 27, 2018).
  13. ^ Kevin Kelly, Op-Ed: Kelly talks opposition to police reform bill, Shelton Herald (July 29, 2020).
Connecticut State Senate Preceded byDan Debicella Member of the Connecticut Senatefrom the 21st district 2011–present Incumbent Preceded byLen Fasano Minority Leader of the Connecticut Senate 2021–present
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