Longtime Democratic state lawmaker Betty Boukus has died at the age of 73. The Plainville state representative recently lost her bid for a 12th term in the General Assembly.
Boukus will be remembered for her sense of humor, her tireless advocacy on behalf of her district, and her ability to work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to get things done.
Republican State Representative Livvy Floren of Greenwich, Betty Boukus's co-chair of the state Bonding Subcommittee, called her a "force of nature" earlier this month at Boukus's last bond commission meeting.
"Betty always does extensive research and evaluation on each and every bonding request," said Floren. "Our on-site visits were extensive and far-ranging. I felt as if we were Thelma and Louise, tooling around the state in her smokin' red-hot convertible."
Betty Boukus graduated from Plainville High, earned a education degree from Central Connecticut State University, and later a master's degree in education from the University of Hartford.
Earlier this month, Boukus lost her bid for a 12th term in the General Assembly to Republican Dr. William Petit.
Ailing from cancer and pneumonia, she ran a limited campaign, but publicly defended her opponent when a negative ad came out tying Petit to Donald Trump. The ad, paid for by a union-backed political action committee, said "Stop Donald Trump and Republican William Petit’s attack on women and families."
Petit was the lone survivor of a deadly home invasion in Cheshire that claimed the lives of his wife and two daughters.
Betty Boukus died Friday. She was 73.
According to several news sources, colleagues at the state capitol were shocked to hear of her death, although they were aware of her battle with cancer.
In a statement, Governor Dannel Malloy called her "one of the most passionate and most energetic legislators in the history of the Connecticut General Assembly."
