Jorge Cabrera is a Democratic state senator representing Connecticut's 17th Senate District, which includes parts of Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Derby, Hamden, Naugatuck, and Woodbridge. Elected in 2020 after a narrow loss in 2018, he assumed office on January 6, 2021, and was re-elected in 2022 and 2024; his current term ends in 2027. A former union organizer with over 25 years advocating for workers' rights, Cabrera serves as Deputy President Pro Tempore and holds leadership roles including Co-Chair of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee and Vice Chair of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee and Labor and Public Employees Committee. Notable achievements include leading the 2019 Stop & Shop strike involving 35,000 workers, securing over $600 million in tax cuts for working families, and increasing tax credits while protecting property tax reductions.

Born to a Puerto Rican father who immigrated in the 1960s and worked multiple jobs in a blue-collar family, Cabrera was the first to attend college; he lives in Hamden with his wife Rebecca and has two children.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Earned a degree in Political Science with high honors from Quinnipiac University in 1998.
• Early Career: Served as a legislative aide to then-Speaker of the House Moira Lyons; worked nearly a decade as a researcher, wage enforcement specialist, and organizer for the Carpenters Union, enforcing prevailing wage laws and combating wage theft.
• Union Leadership: International Representative for the 1.3-million-member United Food and Commercial Workers , organizing nationwide; loaned to President Obama's 2008 campaign in battleground states; currently Business Representative and Director of Organizing for UFCW Local 919, and involved with American Federation of Teachers Connecticut and IUPAT DC 11.
• Political Roles: Key leader in the 2019 New England Stop & Shop strike victory; elected to Senate in 2020; committee assignments include Energy and Technology, Judiciary, and Transportation.