Floren Announces Retirement, Will Not Seek Re-Election

GREENWICH, CT — State Rep. Livvy Floren (R-Greenwich, Stamford) announced Monday she will not seek re-election after representing the 149th House District for nearly 20 years. Floren, 77, is an assistant house Republican leader and has held the 149th General Assembly seat since 2001.

During her ten terms in office, she has worked with a number of different leaders on the state level, including four different governors.

"After 20 years in a job I truly love, it's time. I'm not shy, but I am retiring," Floren said in a prepared statement. "In my two decades in office, I have served with four governors, five speakers of the house, three minority leaders, four Greenwich first selectmen and three Stamford mayors, and have logged 174,000 miles on the Merritt Parkway."

In response to the announcement, Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo said working with Floren for 11 years in Hartford, and for the past four months as first selectman, was an honor.

"I will miss her early morning emails and our daily session discussions on the floor of the house chamber," Camillo said in an email to Patch. "I congratulation her on a truly wonderful public service career, and wish her the best of health and happiness on all her future endeavors."

In her announcement, Floren also noted a number of familial milestones that have occurred in the past couple of decades she spent working at the state level, such as celebrating her fifty-second wedding anniversary with her husband, the marriage of all four of her children and the birth of her ten grandchildren.

"In the words of one of my favorite philosophers, Winnie the Pooh, 'how lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard,'" Floren said.

Floren was elected to the state legislature in 2000. She succeeded ten-year incumbent Republican Janet Lockton, whose campaigns Floren had managed on a number of occasions.

Prior to that, she served two terms as a member of Greenwich's Representative Town Meeting and also served on the town's Board of Estimate and Taxation. (To sign up for Greenwich breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

In Hartford, she serves as ranking member of the bonding sub-committee and as a member of the finance, revenue and bonding, insurance and real estate committees.

On a local level, Floren serves as a member of the Greenwich Tree Conservatory's advisory board and has been involved with the town's air conservation trust, Greenwich Community Gardens and the Greenwich Point Conservancy, as well as the Stamford Watershed Association.

At the state level, Floren advocated for environmental sustainability, including clean water, land conservation and pollution control. She has supported the preservation of historical and cultural sites and been a champion for economic development in both Greenwich and Stamford.

Floren has also championed legislation addressing women's issues, including sexual assault and harassment, pay inequality and domestic violence. She has been a passionate advocate for women's reproductive rights and the expansion of healthcare coverage to "include essential benefits for women, children and adolescents."

Looking back on her time in Hartford, Floren said she was grateful for the friends she made and the "important work" they accomplished together. (To sign up for Stamford breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

"Greenwich has been my home for nearly fifty years, and it gives me great pleasure knowing I was able to give back to my community, as well as our neighbor, the city of Stamford," Floren said. "I cannot thank my constituents enough for placing their trust in me."

She also expressed gratitude for her family's love and support, especially during late session nights, as well as local leaders in both communities for their work on behalf of residents and for being "exemplary role models."

Lastly, Floren thanked her colleagues in Hartford for the "wonderful memories" they shared.

"Whether we served on the left or right side of the aisle, we always advocated in the best interest of our constituents," Floren said. "It has been a true honor to serve with you all. I will miss it, but I am also looking forward to the next chapter in my life."