Background
Wyman was born to a Jewish family and grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where her father worked as an accountant and supplemented his income by delivering the New York Daily News.
Wyman was born to a Jewish family and grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where her father worked as an accountant and supplemented his income by delivering the New York Daily News.
She is Connecticut"s 108th lieutenant governor. She was State of Connecticut from 1995 to 2011, and was the first woman elected to that office position since it was created in 1786. She earned an associate degree in radiological technology from Long Island College Hospital.
Wyman began her career in public service as vice chairperson of the Tolland Board of Education.
She served in this post for four years, but was on the board serving in other roles for five additional years. In 1986, she was elected as the State Representative from the 53rd district of Connecticut, serving in this capacity from 1987–1995.
In 1994, Wyman became State upon defeating Republican Gene Gavin, a Certified Public Accountant. She succeeded William East. Curry, Junior., who did not run for re-election in order to run for governor.
As comptroller, Wyman was the chief fiscal guardian for the State of Connecticut.
She oversaw the state health plan for 200,000 state employees, retirees, and their dependents. In 1998 she was challenged by Republican State Representative Christopher R. Scalzo. In 2002, 28-year-old West Haven Republican Justice of the Peace and City Commissioner Steven Mullins presented an easy challenge to Wyman.
Mullins, a real estate manager by profession, was chosen by then-Governor John G. Rowland to challenge Wyman the week of the state Republican Convention.
He is the only African-American nominee for state comptroller, Democrat or Republican, in Connecticut history. After being endorsed by three of Connecticut"s major newspapers, seven term Groton Republican State Senator Cathy Cook lost to Wyman in 2006.
Democratic candidate for Governor Dan Malloy chose Wyman to be his running mate in the 2010 gubernatorial race. Wyman was sworn-in on January 5, 2011, succeeding Republican Michael Fedele.
In 2006, Wyman co-chaired Joe Courtney"s campaign for United States Congress against incumbent United States. Representative Rob Simmons in Connecticut"s second Congressional District.
Courtney defeated Simmons by a narrow margin. Wyman is liberal when it comes to social issues. In March 2007, she testified at a public hearing of the State Legislative Judiciary Committee in support of Bill #7395 – "An Acting Concerning Marriage Equality." In her opening statement before the committee, she stated, "To violate the rights of a few is to violate the rights of all." The bill supports same-sex marriage rights in Connecticut.
In 2008, same-sex marriage became legal in Connecticut by court order.