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New Haven’s Jorge Perez sailed to approval Wednesday as Connecticut’s new banking commissioner.
The State Senate voted unanimously to approve Perez’s appointment.
That clears the way for Perez to step down as a Hill alder and president of the Board of Alders. West River Tyisha Walker will replace him as board president. Perez has been running the banking department as the designee for the past four weeks.
Reached Wednesday evening, Perez said he plans to resign by April 20 (the next full board meeting) at the latest, and possibly sooner.
That means a special election will take place to fill his 5th Ward seat for the remainder of this term, which ends Dec. 31.
Longtime Hill activist and ward Democratic Co-Chair Johnny Dye said Wednesday evening that he is considering running in the special election. If he does, and if he wins, he would not seek to run again for a full term, said Dye, a retired Pratt & Whitney toolmaker. “If anything happens, it will be temporary.”
“Jorge Perez is a New Haven institution,” New Haven State Sen. Gary Winfield stated in a press release hailing Wednesday’s confirmation vote. In the same release State Senate President Marty Looney predicted Perez “will be a champion for community-based banking” in his new role.
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