Gary.Holder-Winfield@cga.ct.gov
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860-240-8585
B.A., Southern Connecticut State University
Judiciary (vice chair), Appropriations, Human Services
New Haven
Labor strategist, CSU-American Association of University Professors
Holder-Winfield participated in the state's public campaign financing program.
| Gary Winfield (Democratic) | 3,819 | (93.7%) |
| Gary Winfield (Working Families) | 257 | (6.3%) |
| Gary Winfield | 962 | (76.9%) |
| Willie Greene | 289 | (23.1%) |
Holder-Winfield won an open seat in 2008, succeeding the senior member of the House, William R. Dyson. The real contest in this district is winning the Democratic nomination, as Republicans have little presence. In 2010, he won 76 percent of the vote in the primary. Running unopposed in the general election, Holder-Winfield was cross-endorsed by the Working Families Party.
Holder-Winfield succeeded an institution--Bill Dyson was elected in 1976, when Jimmy Carter led the Democratic ticket--but he quickly made a mark at the Capitol by taking the lead on one of Dyson's key issues, a move to abolish the death penalty in 2009.
Holder-Winfield brought fresh energy to the issue in his first session, impressing colleagues and lobbyists for anti-death penalty groups. The abolition bill passed the House by a surprisingly wide margin, just four years after an effort led by Dyson had failed. The bill ultimately was vetoed by Gov. M. Jodi Rell.
He has embraced social media to communicate with constituents. He created a Facebook page to gather information on the state's backlog in processing unemployment claims.
Holder-Winfield has been a longtime supporter of Gov. Dan Malloy, supporting Malloy in his failed gubernatorial bid in 2006 and in the race for the Democratic nomination in 2010.
He was named vice chairman of the Judiciary Committee beginning in the 2011 session.
Holder-Winfield is a veteran of the Navy's nuclear power program.
2009: Holder-Winfield reported income from his union job. His wife, Natalie Holder-Winfield, had income from Quest Diversity Initiatives, a consulting company she owns. She also is owner of Quest Educational Initiatives, which reported no income for the Holder-Winfields. They own a home in New Haven, a condominium in Stamford and a timeshare in Orlando, Fla.They own no securities with a market value in excess of $5,000.Holder-Winfield voluntarily disclosed debts in excess of $10,000 to Washington Mutual/Chase and Countrywide/Bank of America.A note on financial disclosure: Every spring, officials are required to disclose the ownership of real estate, the source of any income exceeding $1,000 in the previous calendar year and securities worth more than $5,000. They also are required to file an addendum in which they report any debt of more than $10,000; this may by law be kept confidential.
| Adopted budget | Yea |
| Campaign finance | Yea |
| Criminal background checks | Yea |
| Deer hunting | Yea |
| Education reform | Yea |
| Electric regulation | Yea |
| Expansion of OTB | Yea |
| School bus seatbelts | Yea |
| Sentencing commission | Yea |
| UConn Health Center | Yea |
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THE MINIMUM WAGE
Connecticut's hourly minimum wage of $8.25 is one of the highest in the nation, trailing Washington at $9.04, Oregon at $8.80 and Vermont at $8.46.
Five of the six New England states exceed the federal minimum of $7.25. The exception is New Hampshire, whose minimum is the same as the feds.
Connecticut is one of 18 states with a minimum higher than the federal standard. Twenty-thrree are at the federal level, four are below it and five have no minimum wage.
Ten states have a minimum wage indexed to the cost of living.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor
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