Arunan Arulampalam | |
---|---|
Mayor of Hartford | |
Assumed office January 1, 2024 | |
Preceded by | Luke Bronin |
Personal details | |
Born | Bulawayo, Zimbabwe | September 15, 1985
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Liza |
Children | 5 |
Education |
Emory University (
BA) Quinnipiac University ( JD) |
Arunan Arulampalam (born September 15, 1985) is an American politician who is the mayor of Hartford, Connecticut. A member of the Democratic Party, Arulampalam won the November 2023 election for mayor and was sworn in on January 1, 2024.
Arulampalam is from a Jaffna Tamil family. His parents fled Sri Lanka in July 1983, at the start of the Sri Lankan Civil War. [1] [2] They moved to England, where they married, and settled in Zimbabwe. Arunan was born in Bulawayo in 1985. [1] [3] The family relocated to California. Arulampalam earned his bachelor's degree from Emory University and earned his Juris Doctor degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law. [3]
In 2014, Arulampalam joined the law firm Updike, Kelly & Spellacy [4] and was an associate with the firm for five years. [3] Governor Ned Lamont appointed Arulampalam to be a deputy commissioner in the Department of Consumer Protection. In July 2021, he became the chief executive officer of the Hartford Land Bank, a non-profit aiming to reduce urban blight. [3] [5]
In October 2017, Arulampalam announced that he was exploring a run for Connecticut State Treasurer, as long as the incumbent, Denise Nappier, opted not to run for reelection. [6] He received enough support at the Connecticut Democratic Party convention to qualify for the primary election ballot, but ended his campaign in May 2018, citing his desire to avoid a divisive campaign. [7] [8]
In January 2023, Arulampalam announced his candidacy in the November election for mayor of Hartford. [9] He won the party's endorsement at their nominating convention. [10] Arulampalam defeated state senator John Fonfara and former state senator Eric Coleman in the Democratic Party primary election in September, [11] receiving 39.6% of the vote. [12] He won the November general election with 69% of the vote [13] and was sworn into office on January 1, 2024. [14]
Arulampalam and his wife, Liza, have five children and live in a formerly blighted house in Hartford's Frog Hollow. [15] [16] He is a naturalized U.S. citizen. [17]
Arunan Arulampalam | |
---|---|
Mayor of Hartford | |
Assumed office January 1, 2024 | |
Preceded by | Luke Bronin |
Personal details | |
Born | Bulawayo, Zimbabwe | September 15, 1985
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Liza |
Children | 5 |
Education |
Emory University (
BA) Quinnipiac University ( JD) |
Arunan Arulampalam (born September 15, 1985) is an American politician who is the mayor of Hartford, Connecticut. A member of the Democratic Party, Arulampalam won the November 2023 election for mayor and was sworn in on January 1, 2024.
Arulampalam is from a Jaffna Tamil family. His parents fled Sri Lanka in July 1983, at the start of the Sri Lankan Civil War. [1] [2] They moved to England, where they married, and settled in Zimbabwe. Arunan was born in Bulawayo in 1985. [1] [3] The family relocated to California. Arulampalam earned his bachelor's degree from Emory University and earned his Juris Doctor degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law. [3]
In 2014, Arulampalam joined the law firm Updike, Kelly & Spellacy [4] and was an associate with the firm for five years. [3] Governor Ned Lamont appointed Arulampalam to be a deputy commissioner in the Department of Consumer Protection. In July 2021, he became the chief executive officer of the Hartford Land Bank, a non-profit aiming to reduce urban blight. [3] [5]
In October 2017, Arulampalam announced that he was exploring a run for Connecticut State Treasurer, as long as the incumbent, Denise Nappier, opted not to run for reelection. [6] He received enough support at the Connecticut Democratic Party convention to qualify for the primary election ballot, but ended his campaign in May 2018, citing his desire to avoid a divisive campaign. [7] [8]
In January 2023, Arulampalam announced his candidacy in the November election for mayor of Hartford. [9] He won the party's endorsement at their nominating convention. [10] Arulampalam defeated state senator John Fonfara and former state senator Eric Coleman in the Democratic Party primary election in September, [11] receiving 39.6% of the vote. [12] He won the November general election with 69% of the vote [13] and was sworn into office on January 1, 2024. [14]
Arulampalam and his wife, Liza, have five children and live in a formerly blighted house in Hartford's Frog Hollow. [15] [16] He is a naturalized U.S. citizen. [17]