On March 11, 2008, Rob was elected to represent Bridgeport, Monroe and Trumbull in the State Senate.  Born and raised in Bridgeport, Rob is an effective voice for reform at the State Capitol and, in his short time in the Senate; he has already compiled a record of results for Bridgeport, Monroe and Trumbull.

In June, Rob secured a $250,000 state grant to fund a comprehensive management and operational audit of the Bridgeport Board of Education.  The study will help to improve education in Bridgeport and make sure our taxpayer dollars are spent more efficiently.  Rob also passed laws this year to benefit the Trumbull Agriscience School by expanding educational opportunities for Connecticut students pursuing careers in agriculture.  And he successfully postponed the implementation of the in-school suspension mandate which was causing tremendous stress on local budgets in Trumbull and Monroe.   

Rob also helped secure important state funding this year to:

• improve streetscapes, realign roads and preserve the historic character of Trumbull and Monroe;
• purchase new elevators for Monroe’s elementary schools;
• support affordable housing efforts in Bridgeport;
• promote educational and conservation programs at Beardsley Zoo; and
• support after school classes at the Music and Arts Center for Humanity

A Different Path to Public Service
The Russo family has served the community’s health care needs for over 60 years.  His grandfather founded Robert D. Russo & Associates, and his father went on to run the firm.

But Rob decided at a young age on a different path to public service.  He attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and while a student there, he received his introduction to government as an intern in the office of Congressman Christopher Shays.
 
“I learned from an effective, bipartisan legislator,” Rob says about his mentor.  “He taught me to work hard and approach each issue on its merits.”

He later served four years as special assistant to the Congressman, working by Shays’ side fighting to rein in wasteful government spending, reform the way campaigns are financed, and preserve precious open space in Connecticut.

On his return home, Rob became active in Connecticut politics, serving on the Bridgeport Republican Town Committee since 2001.  In 2003, Rob joined the battle to reform local government in his hometown of Bridgeport. 

As campaign manager for Rick Torres, Rob helped draw attention to Bridgeport’s many challenges, and helped Rick wage a spirited run for mayor. 

Throughout that campaign and his entire career, Rob has always worked to build the strong relationships between cities and towns that help everyone prosper.  “We all live together,” Rob says about the relationship between the city and the suburbs.  “If we work together, we can all grow together.”

Rob has also served as the Director of the Governor Jodi Rell’s Southwestern Connecticut office, where he worked together with community leaders and development professionals to build and implement strategies to help Connecticut grow. 

In 2006, Rob established his own law practice where he works as a Real Estate and Land Use Attorney.  He is also on the Board of the Red Cross of Mid-Fairfield County, Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, and he is a member of the Bridgeport School Volunteer Association, as well as an active an active volunteer with the Center for Women and Families. 

After graduating Choate Rosemary Hall Preparatory School, Robert attended Georgetown University where he graduated in 1997 with a major in American Government.  Robert later graduated from Fordham Law School in 2004 and was admitted to the Connecticut and Federal Bar later that year.

Born:                      April 5, 1975 
Residence:              Brooklawn Avenue, Bridgeport, CT
Education:               B.A., Georgetown University, 1997
                              J.D., Fordham University, 2004
                              Admitted to the Connecticut Bar in November, 2004