Background
Sumner was born in Hebron, Connecticut, on January 14, 1841.
Sumner was born in Hebron, Connecticut, on January 14, 1841.
A native of Bolton, Connecticut, he moved to Hartford as a young man, was admitted to the Bar in 1864 and began to practice law. Elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1867, Sumner served as representative for Bolton. He was elected mayor of Hartford in 1878 in a race against Morgan Bulkeley, who would succeed Sumner as mayor and later become governor of Connecticut.
He was mayor from 1878 until 1880.
In 1882, he was nominated for Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut on the ticket with Thomas M. Waller and was elected by a large majority. lieutenant was the personal popularity of Sumner who carried the ticket through.
Waller and Sumner served for one period, from January 3, 1883 to January 8, 1885. Sumner died in a hospital at Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut, on September 20, 1906 (age 65 years, 249 days).
He is interred at Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford, Connecticut.
Sumner was a member of the Connecticut state senate for the 1st District from 1887 to 1888.