Robert Bruce Duff (born May 8, 1971) is an American politician, currently serving as a member of the
Connecticut State Senate, where he represents
Norwalk and part of
Darien in
Connecticut's 25th District. He previously served as a member of the
Connecticut House of Representatives, representing the
137th District. He is currently Majority Leader of the Connecticut Senate, and serves as chair of the Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee and vice chair of the Legislative Management Committee.
Early life and education
Duff was born in
Norwalk, Connecticut to Bruce and Joanne Duff. He is a fifth-generation resident of
Norwalk, Connecticut, however his ancestors were originally settled in
Greenwich, Connecticut, hailing from
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
.
Duff graduated from
Norwalk High School in 1989.
He attended
Lynchburg College, and earned a
Bachelor of Science in
Political Science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...
in 1993. He worked as a substitute teacher for the Norwalk Public Schools from 1993 to 1995.
['he spent some time as a substitute teacher'
https://www.williampitt.com/our-agents/list/bobduff/] While in college, Duff was a student senator, and an intern for United States Senator
Chris Dodd.
Career
He was a field coordinator for the
John B. Larson for Governor Campaign in 1994. He was a campaign manager in the Norwalk mayoral race in 1995. As serving in the
Connecticut General Assembly is a part-time position, most members have full-time jobs. Duff has worked as a realtor for
William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty since 1995.
In 2001, he ran in a special election for the seat in the Connecticut House of Representatives left vacant by Alex Knopp when he took office as mayor of Norwalk. He beat Republican Kevin Fitzgerald by 281 votes (1210 -929).
He was re-elected in the 2002 general election.
As a state Representative, Duff served as the House vice-chair of the Energy & Technology Committee, and as a member of the Banks, Higher Education & Advancement Committee and the Select Committee on Housing.
In 2004, Duff sought the State Senate seat left open by Republican Robert Genuario who became Gov. M. Jodi Rell's budget chief.
[The Connecticut Mirror - State Sen. Bob Duff](_blank)
He ran against Republican Jeff Konspore, chairman of the Norwalk school board.
As a state senator, and prior to becoming Majority Leader in 2015, Duff was Deputy Majority Whip from 2005 to 2006, Majority Whip from 2007 to 2008, Assistant Majority Leader from 2009 to 2012, and Assistant President Pro Tempore from 2013 to 2014.
Private
Duff is married to Tracey Kathleen (
née Krause). They have two children and reside in the
Cranbury section of
Norwalk, Connecticut.
Awards
* Legislator of the Year,
YMCA of Connecticut, 2003
* Legislator of the Year Award, National Association of Social Workers, Connecticut Chapter, 2005
* Rick Wallace Award of Merit Legislator of the Year Award, Connecticut Association of Not-for-profit Providers for the Aging.
References
External links
State Senate Democrats - Bob DuffBob Duff at BallotpediaBob Duff at Vote SmartConnecticut Business and Industry AssociationBob Duff at Facebook
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Duff, Bob
1971 births
Democratic Party Connecticut state senators
Living people
Democratic Party members of the Connecticut House of Representatives
Norwalk High School (Connecticut) alumni
Politicians from Norwalk, Connecticut
University of Lynchburg alumni
21st-century members of the Connecticut General Assembly