Daryl Justin Finizio (born July 20, 1977) is an American politician, and was the first strong mayor of New London, Connecticut. As a Democrat, he won the mayoral election in November 2011 with 46% of the vote in a 6-way race (an almost 2:1 margin to the next highest vote getter).[1]
Daryl Justin Finizio | |
|---|---|
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| Mayor of New London, Connecticut | |
| In office December 5, 2011 – December 5, 2015 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 20, 1977 Westerly, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Divorced |
| Alma mater | University of Rhode Island (BA) New York University (MPA) Roger Williams University (JD) Northeastern University (MS) |
| Profession | attorney, politician |
Early life, education, and career
editFinizio was born in Westerly, Rhode Island. An alumnus of the University of Rhode Island, Finizio served as the first openly gay student body President,[2] as well as a student delegate to the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education.[3] During his time at URI, he was the recipient of the prestigious Harry S. Truman Scholarship, awarded to students who demonstrate leadership potential and a commitment to public service.[4]
After graduating from URI, Finizio went on to attend the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University, where he received a master's degree in public administration. At this time, he also worked for the New York City Council as a criminal justice policy analyst.[5] In 2005, Finizio received his J.D. from Roger Williams University. He is currently a licensed attorney in both the State and Federal courts in Rhode Island and Connecticut, as well as being licensed to practice in front of the United States Supreme Court.
In 2006, Finizio returned to Westerly, Rhode Island, and won election to the Westerly Town Council.[6] While serving on the town council, he received a full merit fellowship to attend Northeastern University for a PhD program in the Department of Law and Public Policy.[7] While studying and teaching at Northeastern University, Finizio moved to New London, Connecticut, where he was elected mayor in 2011.[8] In 2015, he lost the Democratic primary to current mayor Michael Passero. In 2021, he declared his intention to run for the Connecticut State Senate to replace retiring Republican senator Paul Formica.[9]
Personal life
editFinizio was married in 2008, and has since divorced. He was invited to attend the White House LGBTQ Pride Month Receptions in 2013[10] and 2014.[11] He was remarried in 2017 to Anthony O. Finizio (Rodriguez) and divorced in 2022.
In 2013, he was a recipient of the Southeastern Connecticut "40 Under Forty" award.[12]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "November 8, 2011 Top Office Election Returns" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 1, 2017. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
- ^ Ericka Taveres (2012-07-13). "A Passion for Politics". Quadangles Online: URI Alumni Magazine. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
- ^ James Lucas Wheaton; Richard G. J. Vangermeersch (1 September 1999). University of Rhode Island. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 121–. ISBN 978-0-7385-0214-4.
- ^ Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation - Search our Scholars
- ^ Tim Ryan (2002-03-05). "Picking up the Pieces". Quadangles – Selected Alumni Profiles. Archived from the original on 2015-12-25. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
- ^ State of Rhode Island Board of Elections
- ^ Finizio, Daryl. "A Vision For New London" (PDF). theday.com. The Day. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ "Town By Town Election Results – New London". theday.com. The Day. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ Spinella, Sten (2021-11-08). "Finizio to seek Formica's state Senate seat". The Day. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
- ^ "New London Mayor Honored by Obama for Support of Gay Rights". foxct.com. Fox CT. Archived from the original on 9 July 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ Young, Colin A. "Finizio to Attend White House LGBTQ Pride Month Reception". theday.com. The Day. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ "Young Leaders: '40 Under Forty Award' Recipients Announced". theday.com. The Day. Retrieved 8 July 2015.