State Comptroller Sean Scanlon to Seek Re-election This Year

Connecticut State Comptroller Sean Scanlon has announced that he is running for re-election this year, seeking his second four-year term in that office.

“From reforming our pension funds, to helping save taxpayers nearly $1 billion, to working to lower health care costs, I’m proud of the work we've done for Connecticut over the last three years,” said Scanlon. “At a time when families like the one I grew up in are facing big challenges, I’m running for re-election so we can keep working to solve tough problems and make our state a better, more affordable place to live.” 

Among the highlights of his time in office Scanlon poined out in a news release:

 ·  Working with a bipartisan group of mayors, first selectman, and organized labor to reform Connecticut’s municipal pension system, saving local taxpayers more than $800 million over the next thirty years. 

·  Cracking down on fraud and abuse by closing a loophole in the disability pension retirement system. 

·  Growing Connecticut’s state-run retirement program for private employers from 876 businesses to nearly 8,000, helping participants save over $60 million for retirement in the process. 

·  Creating the Fallen Hero Fund to support families of police officers, firefighters, and EMT’s killed in the line of duty, as well as offering new cancer screenings to state and municipal firefighters. 

·  Partnering with Governor Lamont and UConn Health to save Waterbury Hospital from bankruptcy and potential closure, preserving health care access for thousands of Connecticut residents.

·  Passing legislation to create Connecticut’s first prescription drug discount card (ArrayRx) and helping over 25,000 residents save an average of $296 on each prescription. 

·  Conducting thorough audits of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) and Social Equity Council (SEC), which led to new laws safeguarding taxpayer dollars and improving transparency. 

·  Developing and managing the Hartford Flood Relief and Compensation Program that helped 675 Connecticut residents, businesses, and non-profits suffering from decades of damage caused by unmitigated infrastructure and flooding issues. 

The responsibilities of the Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) were first charged in the State Constitution in 1786, and have been expanded over the years in the Connecticut General Statutes. The mission is to provide accounting and financial services, to administer employee and retiree benefits, to develop accounting policy and exercise accounting oversight, and to prepare financial reports for state, federal and municipal governments and the public.

“We are facing real challenges as a country, and I get that people increasingly believe that government is no longer capable of solving problems in this divided climate,” Scanlon said. “But I still believe what I believed as a young, longshot candidate: we can still get things done when we put aside politics and work together. I hope to have proven that over the last few years, and I hope to earn the chance to keep doing it on behalf of this state I love for another four years.”

The Comptroller’s Office has six divisions: The office is organized by six divisions: Central Accounts Payable Division, Budget and Financial Analysis Division, Healthcare Policy & Benefit Services Division, Information Technology Division, Statewide Payroll & Time Management Division, and Retirement Services Division.

The son of a police officer and small business owner, Sean attended Guilford public schools and worked his way through high school and Boston College. n 2014, Sean was elected State Representative for Connecticut’s 98th District. He served as chairman of the legislature’s Insurance Committee, and later the Chair of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee of the legislature.