Pedro E. Segarra (born April 28,1959) is a Puerto Rican-American politician and lawyer who served as the 66th mayor of Hartford,Connecticut.[1] Prior to becoming mayor,Segarra was president of Hartford's City Council. He succeeded former Mayor Eddie Perez who resigned after he was convicted by a state Superior Court jury of bribery and extortion in a political corruption case,though Perez' convictions eventually were reversed by the Connecticut Appellate Court.[2][3] Segarra was sworn in as mayor on June 25,2010,and won re-election on November 8,2011. In 2015,Luke Bronin defeated Segarra for the Democratic mayoral nomination. He is Hartford's second mayor of Puerto Rican ancestry and the first openly gay mayor of the city. He is also the second openly gay mayor of an American state capital city (David Cicilline of neighboring Providence,Rhode Island was the first).[4][5]
Segarra was born in the small rural town of Maricao,Puerto Rico. At age seven his family relocated to the Bronx,New York in search of better opportunities. At the age of fifteen,Segarra moved to Hartford seeking a better life than what he was experiencing in New York City.[6] A resident of Hartford since 1975,Segarra is an alum of Greater Hartford Community College,where he was a founding member of the college’s Latin American Student Organization.[7] He later earned a full scholarship to the University of Hartford,where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.[citation needed]
In 1991,Segarra was appointed Corporation Counsel for the City of Hartford,the youngest person ever selected for the position at that time.[citation needed] and appointed for the position for three consecutive terms.[8] He is also a founding member of Hartford's branch of Hogar CREA,the Hispanic Health Council (HHC),and Connecticut Latino/as Achieving Rights &Opportunities (CLARO).[9]
Personal life
Prior to becoming mayor,Segarra was a managing partner of the Law Office of Segarra &López,however after taking office he announced to his clients that he would be closing down his private practice to focus on his mayoral duties.[10] As an active member of the community,Segarra resides in the West End of Hartford with his husband,Charlie Ortiz.[11][12]
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