Erick Russell Is First Black Gay Statewide Elected Official
Erick Russell, a Black gay man, has been elected Connecticut treasurer, making him the first Black member of the LGBTQ+ community to win a statewide office anywhere in the U.S.Russell, a Democrat, bested Republican Harry Arora as Dems swept Connecticut’s statewide offices.
The current treasurer, Shawn Wooden, also a Democrat, did not seek reelection.Russell is a partner in the law firm of Pullman & Comley, working in the practice that deals with public and private finance.
He is the past vice-chair of the Connecticut Democratic Party and a member of the Democratic National Committee. He also cochairs Connecticut Cares, a fundraiser for Lambda Legal.
He is the past chair of the LGBTQ Section of the Connecticut Bar Association and a former director of the George W. Crawford Black Bar Association.
