Arunan Arulampalam
American politician (born 1985)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Arunan Arulampalam (born September 15, 1985) is an American politician who is the 68th 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.
Arunan Arulampalam | |
|---|---|
| 68th Mayor of Hartford | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Luke Bronin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 15, 1985 |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Liza Butler |
| Children | 5 |
| Education | Emory University (BA) Quinnipiac University (JD) |
Early life and career
Arulampalam is from a Sri Lankan Tamil family from Jaffna. His parents fled Sri Lanka in July 1983, during Black July at the start of the Sri Lankan Civil War.[1][2] They moved to England, where they married, and settled in Zimbabwe. Arulampalam was born in Bulawayo in 1985.[1][3] The family later took a vacation to California where they stayed with his uncle before they moved to a one-bedroom apartment.[when?][4] Arulampalam earned a Bachelor of Arts from Emory University and earned a Juris Doctor from Quinnipiac University School of Law.[3]
In 2014, Arulampalam joined the law firm Updike, Kelly & Spellacy[5] and was an associate with the firm for five years.[3] Ned Lamont, the governor of Connecticut 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][6]
Political career
In October 2017, Arulampalam announced that he was exploring a run for Connecticut State Treasurer, as long as Denise Nappier, the incumbent, opted not to run for reelection.[7] He received enough support at the Democratic Party of Connecticut convention to qualify for the primary election ballot, but ended his campaign in May 2018, citing his desire to avoid a divisive campaign.[8][9]
In January 2023, Arulampalam announced his candidacy in the November election for mayor of Hartford, Connecticut.[10] He won the party's endorsement at their nominating convention.[11] Arulampalam defeated state senator John Fonfara and former state senator Eric D. Coleman in the Democratic Party primary election in September,[12] receiving 39.6% of the vote.[13] He won the November general election with 69% of the vote[14] and was sworn into office on January 1, 2024.[15]
Personal life
Arulampalam and his wife, Liza, have five children and live in a house in Hartford's Frog Hollow.[16][17] He is a naturalized U.S. citizen.[18]
Electoral history
Mayor of Hartford, Connecticut
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Arunan Arulampalam | 4,702 | 62 | |
| Independent | Nick Lebron | 907 | 12 | |
| Independent | Eric D. Coleman | 803 | 10.6 | |
| Republican | Michael McGarry | 485 | 6.4 | |
| Independent | James S. McCauley | 443 | 5.8 | |
| Independent | Giselle Gigi Jacobs | 213 | 2.8 | |
| Total votes | 7,553 | 99.6 | ||