Nancy Wyman

For other people named Wyman, see Wyman (disambiguation).
Nancy Wyman
88th Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut
Assumed office
January 5, 2011
Governor Dan Malloy
Preceded by Michael Fedele
Comptroller of Connecticut
In office
January 4, 1995  January 5, 2011
Governor John Rowland
Jodi Rell
Dan Malloy
Preceded by Bill Curry
Succeeded by Kevin Lembo
Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives
In office
1987-1995
Personal details
Born (1946-04-21) April 21, 1946
New York City, New York, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Michael Wyman
Children Stacey
Meryl
Alma mater Long Island College Hospital
Religion Judaism
Signature
Website Government website

Nancy S. Wyman (born April 21, 1946) is an American Democratic Party politician who is Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut. She is Connecticut's 108th[n 1] lieutenant governor. She was State Comptroller of Connecticut from 1995 to 2011, and was the first woman elected to that office position since it was created in 1786.

Early life

Wyman was born to a Jewish family[1] and grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where her father worked as an accountant and supplemented his income by delivering the New York Daily News. She earned an associate degree in radiological technology from Long Island College Hospital.[2]

Early career

Wyman began her career in public service as vice chairperson of the Tolland Board of Education. She served in this post for four years, but was on the board serving in other roles for five additional years. In 1986, she was elected as the State Representative from the 53rd district of Connecticut, serving in this capacity from 1987–1995.[3]

Comptroller

In 1994, Wyman became State Comptroller upon defeating Republican Gene Gavin, a Certified Public Accountant. She succeeded William E. Curry, Jr., who did not run for re-election in order to run for governor.

As comptroller, Wyman was the chief fiscal guardian for the State of Connecticut. She oversaw the state health plan for 200,000 state employees, retirees, and their dependents.[4]

Despite the high popularity of Connecticut's last two Republican governors, Wyman has easily won re-election. In 1998 she was challenged by Republican State Representative Christopher R. Scalzo. In 2002, 28-year-old West Haven Republican Justice of the Peace and City Commissioner Steven Mullins presented an easy challenge to Wyman.

Mullins, a real estate manager by profession, was chosen by then-Governor John G. Rowland to challenge Wyman the week of the state Republican Convention. He is the only African-American nominee for state comptroller, Democrat or Republican, in Connecticut history.

After being endorsed by three of Connecticut's major newspapers, seven term Groton Republican State Senator Cathy Cook lost to Wyman in 2006.

Lieutenant Governor

Democratic candidate for Governor Dan Malloy chose Wyman to be his running mate in the 2010 gubernatorial race.[5] After defeating primary opponent Mary Glassman on August 10, 2010,[6] Wyman became the official 2010 Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor. Malloy and Wyman won a narrow general election.

Wyman was sworn-in on January 5, 2011, succeeding Republican Michael Fedele.

Political advocacy

In 2006, Wyman co-chaired Joe Courtney's campaign for United States Congress against incumbent U.S. Representative Rob Simmons in Connecticut's second Congressional District. Courtney defeated Simmons by a narrow margin.

Issues

Wyman is liberal when it comes to social issues. In March 2007, she testified at a public hearing of the State Legislative Judiciary Committee in support of Bill #7395 – "An Act Concerning Marriage Equality." In her opening statement before the committee, she stated, "To violate the rights of a few is to violate the rights of all."[7] The bill supports same-sex marriage rights in Connecticut. In 2008, same-sex marriage became legal in Connecticut by court order.

Personal life

Wyman is married to Tolland Democratic Registrar of Voters R. Michael Wyman. They have lived in Tolland since 1973.

Electoral history

Connecticut's Comptroller Election, 1994
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic* Nancy Wyman 529,709 54.66
Republican Gene Gavin 439,473 45.34

*Wyman was also nominated on the A Connecticut Party line.

Connecticut's Comptroller Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Nancy Wyman (inc.) 501,266 56.72
Republican Christopher Scalzo 373,337 42.24
Libertarian Steven Edelman 9,207 1.04
Connecticut's Comptroller Election, 2002
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Nancy Wyman (inc.) 577,851 62.19
Republican Steven Mullins 338,613 36.44
Libertarian Leonard Rasch 12,651 1.36
Connecticut's Comptroller Election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Nancy Wyman (inc.) 651,150 64.42
Republican Cathy Cook 320,520 31.71
Libertarian Richard Connelly, Jr. 23,688 2.34
Green Colin Daniel Bennett 15,427 1.53
Connecticut's Lieutenant Governor Democratic Primary Election, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Nancy Wyman 110,768 63.33
Democratic Mary Messina Glassman 64,137 36.67

References

Notes

  1. The State of Connecticut recognizes Nancy Wyman as the 108th Lieutenant Governor, using a standard that had counted Colonial period lieutenants and counts lieutenants who had served multiple times as only one individual figure. Wyman is considered the 88th Lieutenant Governor to serve since the formation of the nation in 1776.

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Bill Curry
Comptroller of Connecticut
1995–2011
Succeeded by
Kevin Lembo
Preceded by
Michael Fedele
Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut
2011–present
Incumbent
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