Arunan Arulampalam

Arunan Arulampalam (born September 15, 1985) is an American politician who is the mayor of Hartford, Connecticut. A member of the Democratic Party, Arulampalam won the November 2023 election for mayor and was sworn in on January 1, 2024.

Early life and career
Arulampalam is from a Sri Lankan Tamil family from Jaffna. His parents fled Sri Lanka in July 1983, at the start of the Sri Lankan Civil War. They moved to England, where they married, and settled in Zimbabwe. Arunan was born in Bulawayo in 1985. The family relocated to California. Arulampalam earned his bachelor's degree from Emory University and earned his Juris Doctor degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law.

In 2014, Arulampalam joined the law firm Updike, Kelly & Spellacy and was an associate with the firm for five years. Governor Ned Lamont appointed Arulampalam to be a deputy commissioner in the Department of Consumer Protection. In July 2021, he became the chief executive officer of the Hartford Land Bank, a non-profit aiming to reduce urban blight.

Political career
In October 2017, Arulampalam announced that he was exploring a run for Connecticut State Treasurer, as long as the incumbent, Denise Nappier, opted not to run for reelection. He received enough support at the Connecticut Democratic Party convention to qualify for the primary election ballot, but ended his campaign in May 2018, citing his desire to avoid a divisive campaign.

In January 2023, Arulampalam announced his candidacy in the November election for mayor of Hartford. He won the party's endorsement at their nominating convention. Arulampalam defeated state senator John Fonfara and former state senator Eric Coleman in the Democratic Party primary election in September, receiving 39.6% of the vote. He won the November general election with 69% of the vote and was sworn into office on January 1, 2024.

Personal life
Arulampalam and his wife, Liza, have five children and live in a formerly blighted house in Hartford's Frog Hollow. He is a naturalized U.S. citizen.