Liz Linehan

Liz Linehan is an American politician serving as a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives representing the 103rd District, which includes Cheshire, Wallingford, and Hamden. A member of the Democratic Party, she assumed office in 2017 after being elected in 2016. She was re-elected in November 2024.

Linehan is a lifelong resident of Cheshire, Connecticut. Prior to entering politics, she worked as a morning radio show producer and marketing consultant. She is also a small business owner. She lives in the west end of Cheshire with her husband Brian and their three children.

Education

Linehan attended Central Connecticut State University, where she majored in communications.

Political Experience

Town Council Service

Before her election to the state house, Linehan served two terms as a member of the Cheshire Town Council . During her tenure, she fulfilled her campaign promise of limiting tax hikes by producing a budget that kept spending flat. The council also added valuable services, including Full Day Kindergarten. Additionally, she created a series of free bi-monthly self-defense workshops following attacks on women in Cheshire.

State Representative Achievements

In the 2017 legislative session, Linehan championed four bills through House passage, three of which were signed into law. These legislative accomplishments include:

• A law preventing discrimination against pregnant women in the workplace
• Anti-human trafficking legislation establishing the crime of "commercial sex abuse of a minor"
• Training legislation for police officers in communicating with and understanding autistic children who tend to wander from their homes
• A law eliminating state income tax on social security, pensions, and annuities for middle-class families

Linehan also successfully blocked policies from two governors that would have negatively affected her district, including stopping the teacher pension cost shift and blocking forced school regionalization.

Committee Service and Honors

Since 2019, she has served as co-chair of the House Children Committee. She currently serves on the Public Safety & Security Committee and the Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee. As of 2025, she holds the position of Deputy Speaker and Democratic Caucus Co-Chair.

Linehan was awarded an Elected Woman of Excellence from the National Foundation of Women Legislators for her body of work after only one full term.

Notable Initiatives

Linehan founded the Student → Manufacturer Connection Fair, an annual event that pairs high school students with high-tech manufacturers to inspire future innovators. Born from conversations with an aerospace manufacturer in her district, the fair now attracts several hundred attendees annually.