Connecticut state Rep. J.P. Sredzinski, whose 112th District includes Monroe and part of Newtown, has submitted his resignation, saying that it “is the right decision for me and my family for many reasons.”
The resignation ”“ effective immediately ”“ was a surprise, coming as it does in the midst of a General Assembly session that began on Jan. 6. Sredzinski, a Republican, was re-elected to his fourth term in November.
“I do not arrive at this decision lightly or in haste; this has been a decision I have thought about for a long time,” he wrote to Secretary of the State Denise Merrill. “I have come to the conclusion that this is the right decision for me and my family for many reasons.
“If there is anything positive that the Covid-19 pandemic has showed me is that family and personal relationships are the most important aspect of our lives,” the letter continued. “There is no replacement, none at all, for quality time with family and our loved ones.”
Sredzinski was a member of the Legislature”™s Public Safety, Human Services and Higher Education & Employment Advancement Committees, and served as a House Republican Whip.
Previously he was on the Monroe Town Council, serving as its chairman from 2013 to 2014. He has also been chairman of the Monroe Police Department Building Renovations Committee; secretary of the Town Council Finance, Education, Health and Public Safety Committee; an appointed member of the Connecticut Emergency Medical Services Advisory Board; and a justice of the peace.
In September he was promoted to superintendent of public safety dispatch in Stratford.
“From time to time in life, we find ourselves at a crossroads, a time to make a decision about who we want to be,” Sredzinski wrote. “I am at such a crossroads right now. Professionally in my career as the Superintendent of a 9-1-1 Dispatch Center; personally in my life as a husband, father, son, brother and friend; the decision to step down from elected office at this time is the right decision.
“Simply put, I need to prioritize the hours I have every day,” he continued. “And for me, family and career are the best investments of my time.”
According to Merrill”™s office, under state law, Gov. Ned Lamont has 10 days to issue a writ of election to choose Sredzinski”™s successor. A special election must be held on the 46th day after the issuance of the writ; major party conventions must take place by 36 days before that election.
