Andrew M. Maynard is a Democratic American politician from

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

, and he was a member of the

Connecticut State Senate The Connecticut State Senate is the upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The state senate comprises 36 members, each representing a district with around 99,280 inhabitants. Sena ...

representing the 18th District. He did not seek re-election in 2016 following an injury. He was succeeded by Republican Heather Somers. Maynard is a resident of

Stonington, Connecticut Stonington is a town located on Long Island Sound in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The municipal limits of the town include the borough of Stonington (borough), Connecticut, Stonington, the villages of Pawcatuck, Connecticut, Pa ...

. He represented the towns of Griswold, Groton,

North Stonington North Stonington is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States which was split off from Stonington, Connecticut, Stonington in 1724. The town is part of the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, Southeastern Connect ...

, Plainfield, Preston,

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, Stonington, and Voluntown.

Career

Maynard had a 10-year career in local and regional government prior to his election to the state senate. He had served as the warden of Stonington Borough since 1999, leading the borough as its chief elected official; he was also involved in the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments, serving as vice chairman and leading its Legislative Committee. Maynard ran for the state senate in 2004, losing by ten points to six-term incumbent Republican State Senator

Cathy Cook The 2020 California State Assembly election was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, with the primary election being held on March 3, 2020. Voters in the 80 districts of the California State Assembly elected their representatives. The elections ...

. Cook retired from the state senate in 2006 to run for State Comptroller which she lost to Democrat

Nancy Wyman Nancy S. Wyman (born April 21, 1946) is an American Democratic Party politician who was the 108th lieutenant governor of Connecticut, from 2011 to 2019. She was state comptroller of Connecticut from 1995 to 2011 and was the first woman electe ...

. Maynard was educated at St. Bernard High School in

Uncasville, Connecticut Uncasville is a village in the town of Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is located in southeastern Montville, at the mouth of the Oxoboxo River where it flows into the Thames River. The name is now applied more generally to all of the ...

and earned his bachelor's degree from

Connecticut College Connecticut College (Conn) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in New London, Connecticut. Originally chartered as Thames College, it was founded in 1911 as the state's only women's colle ...

in New London.

Senate

Maynard narrowly won election to the senate in 2006, defeating his Republican opponent

state representative A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United St ...

Lenny Winkler by 51.4% to 48.6%, a margin of 832 votes. He was re-elected by a wide margin in 2008, winning 67% to his opponent's 33%. He was re-elected in 2010 in an unusual campaign which was waged in cooperation with his Republican opponent Stuart Norman. The two of them traveled together and politely debated each other at campaign stops. This civility was unusual enough in the divisive 2010 election year that it was covered by

The Daily Show ''The Daily Show'' is an American late-night talk show, late-night talk and news satire television program. It airs each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central in the United States, with extended episodes released shortly after on Paramount+ ...

. Maynard served as Assistant Majority Whip and as Chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. He was also on the Environment, General Law, and Program Review and Investigations Committees.

Personal life

Maynard is openly gay.

2014 injury

In the early morning hours of July 21, 2014, Maynard fell on the steps outside of his home in Stonington, CT. He was taken to a hospital in Rhode Island, where as of the next day, he was in "serious, but stable" condition.

References

1962 births Living people Democratic Party Connecticut state senators American gay politicians LGBTQ state legislators in Connecticut Politicians from New London, Connecticut People from Stonington, Connecticut 21st-century American LGBTQ people 21st-century members of the Connecticut General Assembly {{Connecticut-politician-stub