Judgeship will give Kevin Kelly turbocharged pension boost for several years of work. Conley gets a consolation prize.

Thousands of public employees spend decades of their lives working in municipal departments and state agencies. They do not receive pensions close to what Kevin Kelly will receive when he turns 70, several years after becoming a judge this year.

Kelly, who sought and won re-election to the Connecticut Senate two months ago, will not be sworn into office Wednesday. He will not serve his eighth two-year term. Instead, the former leader of the Republican senators has made a deal to become a judge. The resident of the 21st Senate District will go without representation in the legislature’s upper chamber for the next two months. The district is comprised of Shelton, and parts of Monroe, Seymour, and Stratford,

Kelly, who is in his mid-60s, will receive a pension that is equal to 2/3 of his annual salary when he reaches 70. That would be $135,000 a year now and will likely increase. Kelly’s 12 years as an investigator at the Department of Social Services long ago and his 14 years in the Senate would not entitle him to a pension close to what a Superior Court judge receives at the age of 70.

Representative Christine “proudly serving Groton, New London” Conley, a Groton Democrat, will not take the seat she asked voters to re-elect her to only two months ago. Instead, Deputy Majority Leader Conley will become a workers’ compensation commissioner. That appointment is a generous consolation prize after Conley failed to win the approval of the Judicial Selection Commission at a recent closed meeting.

Conley applied for and received $36,095.00 in public funds for her 2024 campaign. Kelly ran unopposed and did not seek public financing of his campaign.

Candidates ought to be required to return their public financing funds if they voluntarily do not take their seat in the General Assembly in order to take a position in another branch of state government.

Published January 7, 2025.