Eleni Kavros DeGraw

Eleni Kavros DeGraw is a Democratic member of the Connecticut House of Representatives representing the 17th District, which includes Avon and Canton. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, she grew up in Alexandria, Virginia, and relocated to Connecticut in 1998, settling in Farmington. Before entering elected office, she worked as a journalist and marketing writer, and has spent recent years writing children's books.

Education

DeGraw graduated from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in Technical Writing, with concentrations in Criminal Justice and Italian. She has completed additional professional development through the Yale Campaign School, Emerge Connecticut, the State Legislative Leadership Foundation Emerging Leaders program, the Council of State Governments Eastern Leadership Academy, and most recently, the Toll Fellowship.

Political Experience

DeGraw was elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives in November 2020 and assumed office on January 6, 2021. She is currently serving in her third term. She previously ran for office in 2018 and served as campaign manager for Derek Slap in 2019.

Notable Achievements

In her first term, DeGraw brought nearly $2 million in bonding dollars to her district and passed legislation including the phase-out of personal income tax on Individual Retirement Accounts , the Workforce Disability Pipeline bill, and the Veterans Municipal Property Tax Credit bill.

During her second term, she passed Connecticut's first Student Loan Debt Relief bill and the Purple Alert System legislation to aid families with missing adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Committee Leadership and Memberships

DeGraw serves as co-chair of the Planning and Development Committee. She is a member of the Bipartisan Women's Caucus, the Fire and Safety Caucus, the Climate Caucus, and the Intellectual and Developmental Disability Caucus.

Community Involvement

Before her legislative career, DeGraw co-founded two grassroots organizations: 100 Women Who Can - Farmington Valley, a regional giving circle that collected over $55,000 in its first year, and ForwardCT, an 1,800+ member activist group focused on poverty, healthcare, refugees, education, and environmental issues. She currently serves on the Board of Connecticut Foodshare's Development Committee and the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, and is a member of the James Madison University College of Arts and Letters Board.