Hilda E. Santiago represents Connecticut's 84th House District . Born on May 19, 1955, in Naranjito, Puerto Rico, she was raised in New York City before her family moved to Meriden, Connecticut, during her senior year of high school. She is a proud mother of two children. Notable achievements include being the first Puerto Rican woman to win an open seat on Meriden’s City Council in 2005 , and the first female and Latina named Deputy Speaker Pro-Tempore of the Connecticut House, a position to which she was promoted by Speaker Matt Ritter. She previously served as Deputy Majority Leader. Elected to the state House in 2012, she assumed office on January 9, 2013, and won re-election in 2024. She serves on key committees including Finance, Revenue and Bonding; Government Administration & Elections; Human Services; and the Joint Committee on Legislative Management. Santiago has been a longtime advocate for civil and human rights, Latino equality, and community service, volunteering on boards such as United Way, YWCA, Child Guidance Clinic, Catholic Charities, Kiwanis, and Casa Boricua of Meriden.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Graduated from Orville H. Platt High School in Meriden; earned a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education from Southern Connecticut State University, majoring in History and Latin American Studies.
• Political Experience: Appointed to Meriden City Council ; elected to Meriden City Council ; Connecticut House of Representatives, District 84 . Involved in local politics since 1990.