Caroline Simmons

Caroline Simmons (born February 10, 1986) is a State Representative in Stamford, Connecticut representing the 144th District. She is the youngest woman legislator in Connecticut state office.[1] She is married to former Republican State Senator Art Linares.

Caroline Simmons
Connecticut Congresswoman from the 144th District
Assumed office
2014
Preceded byMichael Molgano
Personal details
BornConnecticut, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Art Linares

Early life and career

Simmons was born in southern Connecticut and raised in a family of five children with a Democratic mother and Republican father.[2] She was the president of her high school, captain of three varsity sports and a two-time All-American lacrosse player.[3] She earned her bachelor's degree from Harvard College in 2008, where she majored in Government.[3] While in college, Simmons played on the varsity lacrosse team and spent a semester studying abroad at the American University in Egypt.[3]

After graduating Harvard she worked on Barack Obama's Presidential Transition Team, before accepting a job at the Department of Homeland Security.[4][5] At the Department of Homeland Security, Simmons served as Director of Special Projects in the Counterterrorism Coordinator's Office and travelled to Kabul many times for her work.[3][5] Simmons also earned a Master of Arts degree in Middle East Studies from the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University in 2011[3]

Connecticut General Assembly

Elections

In 2014, Simmons became a state representative candidate for the 144th district.[6] Simmons defeated incumbent Republican Michael Molgano with 53.8% of the vote, and was the only Connecticut Democrat in 2014 to defeat an incumbent Republican.[7] In 2016, Simmons won re-election, defeating her challenger with 67% of the vote.[8] In 2018 and 2020, Simmons won re-election, while pregnant during both elections.[9]

Tenure

In her first term, Simmons Introduced or co-sponsored 53 bi-partisan bills, two which reduced regulations for small businesses and six of which lowered taxes on hospitals, businesses, and residents.[10] She also secured $65 million in funding for schools, passed legislation improving public safety, gun safety, and pedestrian safety, and co-sponsored legislation for a Connecticut Competitiveness Council.[11] Simmons introduced and led debate on a bill to enhance the state's cyber security.[12] During her second term, Simmons continued advocating for improvements to Stamford public schools, infrastructure, and public safety.[11] She was appointed as Chair of the Commerce Committee, becoming one of the youngest women to ever do so.[13] As chair, she has focused on small business development and job growth, especially given the COVID-19 pandemic.

Personal life

Simmons lives in Stamford with her husband and two children. Outside of political office, she is involved in the community and serves on the Board of the Women's Business Development Council and the Executive Committee of the Stamford Partnership.[14]

References
  1. Skalka, Liz (November 9, 2016). "Simmons wins second term in 144th District". Stamford Advocate.
  2. Skalka, Liz (December 27, 2016). "State Rep finds surprise proposal in The Advocate". Stamford Advocate.
  3. "Representative Hopes to Lead By Example". Stamford Advocate. August 31, 2015.
  4. Skalka, Liz. "Representative hopes to lead by example". Stamford Advocate. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
  5. "Caroline Simmons Biography". Connecticut House Democrats. Connecticut House Democrats.
  6. Simmons, Caroline (March 29, 2014). "Why I'm Running in the 144th District". Stamford Advocate.
  7. "Connecticut House of Representatives elections, 2014". Ballotpedia. BallotPedia.
  8. "Connecticut 144th District State House Results: Caroline Simmons Wins". New York Times. December 13, 2016.
  9. Munson, Emilie (2018-05-07). "Democrat and GOP lawmakers announce first child together". Laredo Morning Times. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  10. "Caroline Simmons: Why I am running for re-election". AP NEWS. 2016-11-07. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  11. Tomlinson, Pat (February 4, 2016). "Simmons announces re-election bid to Stamford's 144th". Stamford Advocate.
  12. "Stamford's Simmons backs cybersecurity bil". Stamford Advocate. April 17, 2015.
  13. "Simmons Appointed Commerce Committee Chair | News Break". News Break Hartford, CT. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  14. "Board of Directors". Women's Business Development Council. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.