Nancy S. Wyman (born April 21, 1946) is an American
Democratic Party politician who was the 108th
lieutenant governor of Connecticut
The following is a list of lieutenant governors of the State of Connecticut.
Lieutenant governors of the State of Connecticut, 1776–present
Notes
References
;Constitutions
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*
*
;Specific
External linksOfficial website of the L ...
, from 2011 to 2019. She was
state comptroller of
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 capita ...
from 1995 to 2011, and was the first woman elected to that office since it was created in 1786. She served as the Chairwoman of the
Connecticut Democratic Party from 2019 to 2020.
Early life
Wyman was born to a
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
family and grew up in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, 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
University Hospital of Brooklyn at Long Island College Hospital (or LICH) was a 506-bed teaching hospital located in the Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill neighborhoods of Brooklyn, New York. The hospital was founded in 1858 as Long Island Coll ...
.
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.
Comptroller (1995–2011)
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.
Despite the high popularity of Connecticut's last two Republican governors, Wyman has easily won re-election. In 1998 she was challenged by
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
State Representative Christopher R. Scalzo. In 2002, 28-year-old
West Haven
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some R ...
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
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
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
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 (2011–2019)
Democratic candidate for Governor
Dan Malloy
Dannel Patrick Malloy (; born July 21, 1955) is an American politician, who served as the 88th governor of Connecticut from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he chaired the Democratic Governors Association from 2016 to 2017. On Jul ...
chose Wyman to be his
running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position (such as the vice presidential candidate running with a pr ...
in the
2010 gubernatorial race. After defeating primary opponent Mary Glassman on August 10, 2010, 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
Michael Fedele (born March 30, 1955 in Minturno, Italy) is an Italian-American politician. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 107th Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut from 2007 to 2011.
Following the decision on November 9, 200 ...
. She was succeeded by former
Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz
Susan Bysiewicz ( ; born September 29, 1961) is an American politician and attorney who is the 109th lieutenant governor of Connecticut, serving since January 9, 2019. She previously served as the 72nd secretary of the state of Connecticut from ...
on January 9, 2019.
Political advocacy
In 2006, Wyman co-chaired
Joe Courtney's campaign for
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
against incumbent U.S.
Representative
Representative may refer to:
Politics
* Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people
* House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities
* Legislator, som ...
Rob Simmons
Robert Ruhl "Rob" Simmons (born February 11, 1943) is an American politician and retired U.S. Army colonel who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2007, representing Connecticut's second congressional d ...
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."
The bill supports
same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...
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
*Wyman was also nominated on the A Connecticut Party line.
See also
*
List of female lieutenant governors in the United States
As of January 18, 2023, there are 22 women currently serving (excluding acting capacity) as lieutenant governors in the United States. Overall, 118 women have served (including acting capacity).
Women have been elected lieutenant governor from 4 ...
References
External links
Official site of Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Wyman, Nancy S.
1946 births
20th-century American politicians
20th-century American women politicians
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American women politicians
Connecticut Comptrollers
Jewish American state legislators in Connecticut
Jewish women politicians
Democratic Party members of the Connecticut House of Representatives
Lieutenant Governors of Connecticut
Living people
People from Tolland, Connecticut
School board members in Connecticut
Women state legislators in Connecticut
State political party chairs of Connecticut
21st-century American Jews