Matt Lesser
Matt Lesser | |
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Member of the Quentin Phipps | |
Personal details | |
Born | Washington, D.C., U.S. | April 29, 1983
Political party | Democratic |
Education | Wesleyan University |
Matthew L. Lesser is an American politician who represents the 9th district in the Connecticut State Senate. First elected to the State House in 2008, Lesser was re-elected in 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016. In 2018 he was elected as state senator for the 9th district, winning 57% of the vote.[1][2]
Political career
Early years
In 2006, Lesser, as a full-time student at Wesleyan University and President of the College Democrats of Connecticut, organized the largest student voter mobilization drive in the country.[3]
Lesser was elected as Chairman of the Middletown Planning and Zoning Commission.[4]
State House
On May 20, 2008, Lesser, then a student at Wesleyan University, was selected to run as the second youngest candidate for State Representative at the Democratic 100th District Convention.[5][6] Lesser received the endorsement of then-Connecticut Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz, who once held the 100th District State representative seat.[7] Lesser also received support from State Senator Tom Gaffey and Middletown DTC Chairman Dan Russo.[8] Lesser defeated three-term incumbent Ray Kalinowski.[9][10]
In the state House, Lesser served as the chairman of the Banking Committee. Additionally, he sat on the Government Administration and Elections and Insurance and Real Estate Committees.[11]
Since taking office in 2009, Lesser has written and passed a number of laws, including Connecticut's first in the nation Student Loan Bill of Rights,
In 2012, Lesser was elected to the Democratic Party's National Platform Committee.[16]
State Senate
Lesser announced a run for state senator in May 2018.[17] He won the August 2018 primary against former state representative Antonio Guerrera.[18] The general election featured some controversy when the campaign of Republican candidate Ed Charamut sent our a mailer to voters attacking Lesser, featuring an altered image of Lesser clutching $100 bills; the mailer garnered national media attention and was denounced for its use of antisemitic tropes.[19][20] Lesser won the general election in November and was appointed as Senate Chairman of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee in the following month.[21][22]
As a state senator, Lesser has written laws to guarantee
During the 2019 legislative session, Lesser championed a health care reform effort to create a public health insurance option in the state of Connecticut (dubbed "the Connecticut Option").[27][28] He overseeing the bill from his position as co-chair when it passed out of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee.[28] The bill also passed the House Appropriations Committee on a 29–19 vote.[27] The effort ultimately failed amid opposition from health insurers.[29]
Personal life
Lesser lives in Middletown's North End with his wife Sarah, their son, and their dog Lucy.[11]
Electoral history
Connecticut 100th House District Election, 2008 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | |
Republican | Raymond C. Kalinowski (inc.) | 5,787 | |
Democratic | Matthew L. Lesser | 6,186 |
Connecticut 100th House District Election, 2010 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | |
Republican | John Swewczyk | 4,433 | |
Democratic | Matthew L. Lesser (inc.) | 4,756 |
Connecticut 100th House District Election, 2012 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | |
Republican | Deborah A. Kleckowksi | 3,057 | |
Democratic | Matthew L. Lesser (inc.) | 6, 677 |
Connecticut 100th House District Election, 2014 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | |
Democratic | Matthew L. Lesser (inc.) | 4,558 | |
Republican | Angel R. Fernandez | 2,138 | |
Working Families | Matthew L. Lesser | 537 |
Connecticut 100th House District Election, 2016 [30] | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
Democratic | Matthew L. Lesser (inc.) | 6,417 | 62.61 |
Republican | Anthony R.J. Moran | 3,136 | 30.60 |
Working Families | Matthew L. Lesser | 696 | 6.79 |
Connecticut 9th Senate District Election, 2018[31] | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
Democratic | Matthew L. Lesser | 22,724 | 54.22 |
Republican | Ed Charamut | 17,674 | 42.15 |
Working Families | Matthew L. Lesser | 1,519 | 3.62 |
Connecticut 9th Senate District Election, 2020[32] | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
Democratic | Matthew L. Lesser | 29,473 | 54.75 |
Republican | Richard Ruglio | 21,609 | 40.22 |
Working Families | Matthew L. Lesser | 1,509 | 2.81 |
Independent | Richard Ruglio | 1,139 | 2.12 |
References
- ^ "About Senator Lesser". www.senatedems.ct.gov. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
- ^ "Matthew Lesser". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
- ^ "The CT Mirror » Political Guide". The CT Mirror. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
- ^ Olivia Drake, Lesser '10 State Rep. Elect for Middletown, Wesleyan University (November 11, 2008).
- ^ "Convention Updates". 2008-05-21. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
- ^ "06459 › Matt Lesser '10 State Representative [Wesleyan University]". Archived from the original on 2011-01-05. Retrieved 2011-01-15.
- ^ "Susan Bysiewicz at 100th House District Convention". YouTube. 2008-05-21. Retrieved 2008-06-15.[dead YouTube link]
- ^ "Matt Lesser Nominated in 100th District". Retrieved 2008-06-15.
- ^ "Candidate Cites His Experience". The Baltimore Sun. 2008-06-10. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
- ^ "Stay With Ray". The Town Times. 2008-06-13. pp. 8 & 20. Archived from the original on 2008-06-21. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
- ^ a b c "Biography". 17 December 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- ^ "State Representative Matthew Lesser". www2.housedems.ct.gov. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- ^ "No fracking in Connecticut, but what about its waste?". Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- ^ "Middletown's state Rep. Matt Lesser considering bid for Connecticut secretary of state in 2018". Middletown Press. April 18, 2017.
- ^ Cassandra Day, Connecticut state Rep. Matt Lesser raises $58,000 for possible 2018 secretary of the state bid, New Haven Register (July 7, 2017).
- ^ "Drew, Lesser named to Democratic Party leadership posts". New Haven Register. August 9, 2012.
- ^ Staff, Press (2018-05-23). "Middletown state Rep. Lesser running for 9th District Senate". Connecticut Post. Retrieved 2019-05-27.
- ^ Beals, Shawn R. "Matt Lesser Wins Democratic 9th Senate Primary". courant.com. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-05-27.
- ^ Rosenberg, Eli (October 31, 2018). "Republican mailer depicts a Jewish candidate gripping cash and grinning. The GOP is no longer defending it". Washington Post. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
- ^ Beals, Shawn R. "Lesser Wins 9th Senate District In Race That Gained National Attention For Anti-Semitism Charges". courant.com. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
- ^ Ramirez, Hector (2018-12-27). "Senator-Elect Matt Lesser appointed to Co-Chair of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee". WTNH. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
- ^ Carlesso, Jenna (2019-07-19). "Mental health parity bill signed into law". CT Mirror. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
- ^ Staff, Press (2019-07-07). "New CT law makes epinephrine devices, EpiPens available in public venues". Middletown Press. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
- ^ "Co-Pays for Insulin and Diabetes Medications Capped at $25 in Connecticut".
- ^ "Senator Lesser Leads Passage of Telehealth and Insulin Bills".
- ^ a b Staff, Press (2019-05-03). "Connecticut lawmakers celebrate health care public option bill". The Middletown Press. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
- ^ a b "Public option health insurance bills clear committee". The CT Mirror. 2019-03-19. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
- ^ Shefali Luthra, Insurers Sank Connecticut's 'Public Option.' Would A National Version Survive?, KHN (March 4, 2020).
- ^ "Connecticut 100th District State House Results: Matt Lesser Wins". The New York Times. 1 August 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
- ^ Beals, Shawn R. "Lesser Wins 9th Senate District In Race That Gained National Attention For Anti-Semitism Charges". courant.com. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
- ^ Day, Cassandra (3 November 2020). "Heavy turnout in Middletown; Dem looks to win 33rd House as votes counted in other races". The Middletown Press.