Gayle Slossberg

In 2004, Slossberg was elected to the Connecticut Senate by defeating six-term incumbent Republican Win Smith by about 1,600 votes.^{[citation needed]} A bizarre incident occurred late in the campaign regarding allegations that Slossberg lawn signs were dumped at a local synagogue.^[4] A Slossberg aide claimed it was a hate crime, but no evidence in support of this charge was ever provided.^[5]

In the 2005-2006 legislative sessions, Slossberg served as co-chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee, on which she worked for a veterans' benefits package, which included establishing a Military Family Relief Fund to provide financial assistance to family members of people serving in both the U.S. armed forces and the Connecticut National Guard. Slossberg also created the Depleted Uranium Task Force to study the effects of toxic substances on soldiers who fought in the Middle East.

In 2006, Slossberg won re-election against Barbara Lisman, the widow of former Milford Mayor Frederick L. Lisman.

In the 2007 legislative session, Slossberg served as chair of the Government Administration & Elections Committee, vice chair of the Public Health Committee, vice chair of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, and as a Member of the Appropriations Committee.

In 2007, Slossberg proposed that Connecticut adopt same-day voter registration. Republicans charged that such systems enable voter fraud to be committed. For that reason, then-Governor John G. Rowland vetoed a similar bill in 2003.^[6]

On December 11, 2007, Slossberg proposed ethics reforms for the Connecticut Senate in wake of the CSU bonding scandal centered around fellow Democratic Senator Thomas Gaffey.

In January 2008, Slossberg opposed Governor M. Jodi Rell's proposal to pass a Three Strikes Law mandating life prison terms for career violent criminals. Rell had sought this reform in the wake of a 2007 home invasion in Cheshire.

In the November 4, 2008 election, Slossberg defeated Republican challenger Vincent Marino, town attorney of Orange, to win re-election. Slossberg faced Marino again in the 2010 election and was re-elected to a fourth term.^[7]

On April 29, 2014, she voted for a comprehensive campus sexual assault safety bill which aims to protect more people, apply to additional schools, provide on-call crisis counseling and ensure sexual assault victims' anonymity is protected when issuing a report.^[8]

In 2017 Slossberg attempted to stop a $10 million improvement plan for Silver Sands State Park, but was unsuccessful.^[9]

In October 2017 while discussing with UConn College Democrats her efforts to purge local school libraries of books containing offensive language, Gayle Slossberg used the "N-word" in its explicit form without euphemisms. Her use of the word was highly offensive to the group and others including the NAACP. Slossberg later issued an apology.^[10]

In February 2018 Slossberg announced as co-chair of the education committee that she got approval for the West Haven High School to do a $130 million renovation, which will help ingrate education and enrollment in the school.^[11]

On March 8, 2018, Slossberg announced that she would not be a candidate for reelection.^[12]

• Legislative website

Connecticut State Senate
Preceded by Win Smith	Connecticut Senator from the Fourteenth District 2005–present	Succeeded by incumbent