Currently serving his third term as state senator, Art Linares (R-33) will be moving on in 2018. Earlier this month the Westbrook resident announced that he will not seek re-election this year; instead, he announced his campaign for state treasurer in the November election.

Linares’s marriage last fall to State Representative Caroline Simmons, a Democrat and Stamford resident, prompted speculation about which of the two would leave their district. With the Senate currently balanced between Republicans and Democrats, the couple’s decision was closely watched.

The youngest member of the Senate, Linares was the first Republican in 20 years to win the 33rd District, which includes the towns of Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Essex, Old Saybrook, and Westbrook as well as Lyme, Haddam, East Haddam, Colchester, East Hampton, and Portland.

“It’s been a true honor and a privilege to serve the district,” said Linares. “I know every road, every dirt road, every house that has a dog that bites because I’ve knocked on thousands of doors. I’ve truly enjoyed and been privileged to serve the district and now I’m going to be moving on to run as state treasurer, where I can have just as big or even greater impact in the state.”

Linares would bring a background in private business—he is co-founder of Greenskies, a commercial solar energy company in Middletown—combined with his Senate experience to the state office.

“After five years in the Senate serving on the Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee as well as 10 years of running and owning a small business, I decided I wanted to take my experience from the public and private sector to focus on improving the state’s fiscal house in the state treasurer’s office,” he said.

Linares said that fighting for fiscal responsibility would be his primary goal. He plans to form a debt responsibility committee to help control state finances.

“The number one thing that we must do in Connecticut is stay below our annual bonding cap that was just instituted in the latest budget,” Linares said. “I’m very passionate about the issue of controlling our state’s debts and also our pension costs and liabilities. Those are two issues that are critically important to Connecticut’s future and those are also two issues that the state treasurer handles directly.”

His second focus is on pensions. Connecticut currently has the most underfunded pension program in the country. To reform it, he suggests changing the pension system into something more like a 401k plan. According to Linares, Connecticut’s government workers contribute less to their pension than workers elsewhere in the nation. Combined with the cost of living adjustment paid out annually to state employee retirees, this places a burden on the state’s pension plan. Linares envisions a system in which employees contribute more to their pension plan, and also have greater control over it.

“If they want to leave government work for the private sector, they have a 401k they can roll over,” he said.

Additionally, “We should look at pension buyouts, which give our employees the chance to buy out their pension for an amount that in the long run will save the state money and in the short run will give people money directly so they can manage it,” he said. “That will improve our credit rating.”

Linares also spoke about beating back regulations that slow economic growth.

“We have to look to reduce red tape on small businesses so that we can allow the economy to grow,” he said.

As for the present, Linares and Simmons were married in October. They met in Hartford at the Bipartisan Young Legislators Caucus, which was co-founded by Linares. Their political views could divide them. But Linares says the differences help, not hurt, the partnership.

“We don’t have the same political views on everything, but I think that what makes this country so great is that people with two different political views can still love each other and also have an honest discourse,” he said. “Her views help me refine my own. It’s actually been something that’s brought us together.”