HARTFORD – With his mother and son by his side at the State Capitol, Tony Hwang was sworn in on Jan. 7 as the first Asian-Pacific American state Senator in Connecticut history.
For the first time in 16 years, the 28th District has a new state Senator, following the many years of respected service of Senator John McKinney. The district encompasses Fairfield, Easton, Newtown and portions of Weston and Westport.
Moved by the meaning of the moment, Senator Hwang was nearly at a loss for words as he began his remarks to the standing-room-only crowd in the Senate Chamber.
“I am honored and humbled by the privilege of standing before you today as a state Senator,” he said. “This moment is made even more special to have my mother and son here with me, and I know my wife and daughter, who are in London as my daughter begins a semester studying aboard, are here in spirit. There truly is nothing more important than family, and I am thankful to have such a loving and supportive one.”
“I’d also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge my dad, who passed away five years ago. I am who I am because of my dad. He is truly my hero and inspiration, and I wish he was here to share in this very important and special moment.”
Hwang, the son of immigrant parents, enters the Senate with six years of legislative experience garnered during his three terms as state Representative of the 134th District, which includes parts of Fairfield and Trumbull. He has built relationships of trust and respect with legislators on both sides of the aisle and is known for his willingness to work in a bipartisan manner to build consensus and deliver results.
“It is all about relationships here in Hartford,” Senator Hwang said. “And I am honored to work with so many dedicated public servants, in both parties, to create meaningful policy that will move Connecticut forward. I am excited to build on my commitment to community and public service in the upcoming session and tackle the many issues our great state faces.”
State Senator Tony Hwang is in his 4th term in the Connecticut General Assembly and 1st term as State Senator of the 28th District, which encompasses Fairfield, Easton, Newtown and portions of Weston and Westport. Senator-Elect Hwang is the ranking leader in the Housing and Labor & Public Employees Committees and a member of Commerce and Veterans Affairs committees during the 2015-16 legislative sessions. He is also a member of the CT Innovation Life Sciences Business/Government Group and co-chair of the bipartisan General Assembly Bioscience Caucus.