Steven Mullins

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Steven Mullins (Center) with Senator John McCain and then U.S. Rep. Nancy Johnson at a political fundraiser in 2002

Steven R. Mullins is a Connecticut politician from West Haven.

In 2002, at the request of then-Governor John G. Rowland, Mullins was taped to complete Rowland's underticket as the Republican candidate for State Comptroller.

The Connecticut state comptroller is the state's fiscal guardian. The comptroller is also responsible for overseeing the state health plan for 188,000 state employees, retirees and their dependents.

Mullins faced two term incumbent Comptoller Nancy Wyman.

With no party opposition, Mullins was nominated by the state Republican convention in Bridgeport. In his acceptance speech, Mullins said that his nomination was the "embodiment of the American Dream."

At the age of 28, Mullins was and remains the youngest nominee for the position of comptroller Democrat or Republican in Connecticut history. He was also the first African American to seek the post since Gary Franks attempted in 1986. Franks was elected to represent the 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1990. Mullins was the only minority on the Republican ticket in 2002.

Two days following the state Republican convention, Mullins was involved in a traffic accident in Hamden. He apparently had a seizure while driving.

Mullins was admitted to the Hospital of Saint Raphael in New Haven for observation. Republican State Chairman Chris Depino said that Mullins hadn't told him of any health problems. He was released the following day and had no other health issues during the campaign.

During the campaign, Mullins denounced former Democratic State Chairman Ned Coll for his comments during his invocation at the Democratic State Convention in Hartford. During the invocation, Coll referred to Rowland as a "snake" and a "glorified thug."

"The fiery rhetoric from Ned Coll at the Democratic State Convention lends nothing to useful political debate, let alone an invocation at a political event," Mullins said. "Nancy Wyman has yet to take a public stand against Coll's comments, and until she does, the public should believe that she condones such statements."

Two weeks before the November general election, Mullins married his fiancee, a registered nurse at a New Haven hospital. According to news reports, the wedding was planned before Mullins accepted Rowland's invitaion.

Despite the landside re-election victory of Rowland and his Lieutenant Governor running mate M. Jodi Rell, over Democrat gubernitorial nominee and former state comptroller Bill Curry, Mullins lost to Wyman 62% to 38%.

Mullins, a real estate manager by profession was no stranger to politics. At the age of 21, he ran for the state senate against two term New Haven state senator Toni N. Harp.

Mullins was elected to the West Haven Planning and Zoning Commission in 2005. He is also Justice of the Peace and until recently served as Chairman of the West Haven Drug and Alcohol Commission.

Mullins and his wife Gene have two children. A devout Episcopalian, Mullins is a communicant of the Church of the Resurrection in West Haven.