Bye, Beth
District towns: Avon, Farmington, West Hartford
Election history: Bye won an open seat in 2006, succeeding 13-term Republican Robert Farr, who was tapped by Gov. M. Jodi Rell as the GOP nominee for attorney general. In a district drawn to be competitive for a Republican, Bye easily won her first race, 6,114 to 4,535.
2008 general election
Beth Bye (D) 8,457 63 percent Theresa McGrath (R) 4,936 37 percent
Public financing: Bye qualified for $25,000 in public financing and returned $1,311.29 to the state. McGrath also was publicly financed.
Background: Bye is an early childhood educator who formerly served on the West Hartford Board of Education. Before becoming director of early childhood education at the Capitol Regional Education Council, she was director of the St. Joseph College School for Young Children. She also has taught at Trinity and St. Joseph.
Bye and her partner were the first to be married once Connecticut legalized same-sex marriage.
Bye has two daughters and two stepsons. They reside in West Hartford.
Committees: Aging, Environment, Public Health
Education: B.A., M.A., University of New Hampshire
Occupation: Educator, consultant
2008 Financial Disclosure: Bye, who also has a consulting business, reported outside income from CREC and the Bloomfield schools. Her spouse, Tracey Wilson, reported income from the West Hartford schools, St. Johnsbury Academy and the College Board.
They own various retirement accounts and mutual funds.
Bye voluntarily reported debts of more than $10,000 to Citimortgage and Mazda American Credit.
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.
Bloomfield! Burlington! Farmington! West Hartford
B.A., M.A., University of New Hampshire
Educator, consultant
Higher education (co-chair)! Education! Internship! Judiciary
Bye is an early childhood educator who formerly served on the West Hartford Board of Education. Before becoming director of early childhood education at the Capitol Regional Education Council, she was director of the St. Joseph College School for Young Children. She also has taught at Trinity and St. Joseph.She had a rare pair of endorsements: the conservative Connecticut Business and Industry Association and the liberal Working Families Party. The WFP cross-endorsed her, even though she voted against their top issue, legislation mandating that private employers of a certain size provide paid sick days.Personal: Bye and her wife, Tracey Wilson, were the first to be married once Connecticut legalized same-sex marriage. Bye has two daughters and two stepsons. They reside in West Hartford.
Bye was elected to an open seat in 2010, succeeding state Sen. Jonathan Harris, D-West Hartford, who did not seek re-election.Bye won an open House seat in 2006, succeeding 13-term Republican Robert Farr, who was tapped by Gov. M. Jodi Rell as the GOP nominee for attorney general.
Joseph Merritt! Beth Bye! Beth Bye
