State Senator Art Linares (R-Westbrook), whose district includes Lyme, has endorsed State Senate Republican Leader John McKinney to be the next governor of the state of Connecticut.
“Republicans have a great opportunity in this election to take back the governor’s office and win a number of new seats in the legislature, but we will not be successful unless we have a strong candidate at the top of our ticket, Senator John McKinney is that candidate,” Linares said, adding, “Senator McKinney is a dynamic leader capable of taking our Party and our state in a positive new direction.”
Linares represents the 35th State Senate District in the Connecticut General Assembly, which encompasses, in addition to Lyme, the towns of Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Deep River, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Old Saybrook, Portland, and his hometown of Westbrook. He is ranking member on the Banks Committee. In his private life, Linares, 25, is co-founder of a successful, Middletown-based, commercial solar energy company.
Linares is of Cuban-American descent. His grandparents fled communist Cuba in the 1960’s to start over in America where his father started his own business. Linares, who volunteered for U.S. Senator Marco Rubio before running for office himself, has made it a priority to improve Republican outreach to Latino communities.
“Senator McKinney, can relate Republican values to young voters, female voters and Latino voters – constituencies we must rally to build a strong foundation for the future of our Party,” Linares said.
McKinney thanked Linares for his endorsement, saying, “Senator Linares represents the future of our Party. I marvel at what this young man has accomplished in such a short period of time and what the future may hold for him. I am grateful for his support and for what he has taught me about the issues important to his constituents in southeastern Connecticut.”