Mike Jarjura Biography

Michael "Mike" Jarjura is uniquely qualified for the office of State Comptroller based on: his success as Mayor in helping to turn around the City of Waterbury; his work as a State Representative in the 1990s where he took on the health insurance industry and expanded health care coverage for Connecticut seniors; his work at Assistant Attorney General where he helped Veterans receive better health and hospital care; and his experience as working with his family to grow a highly successful business, helping to bring jobs to Connecticut.

The son of Lebanese immigrants, Mike Jarjura started out hauling boxes of produce for the family business at a young age. That small family concern grew with the hard work and dedication of his father Joseph and Mike’s six brothers into one of the most successful produce wholesaling companies in the region.

He received a B.S. in Management from Post College in 1983 and a J.D. from the University of Bridgeport School of Law in 1987.  He graduated magna cum laude, in the top 5% of his class, at both schools.

After law school, Jarjura went to work as an Assistant Attorney General until he was elected to the General Assembly in 1992. In the 10 years he was in the legislature, Rep. Jarjura built a reputation for overseeing and reforming government, expanding health care coverage, and holding insurance companies accountable.

In 2003, Jarjura was elected Mayor of Waterbury after the city suffered a series of scandals and fiscal malfeasances.  He strongly backed efforts to overhaul the city's budget, weed out corruption and enact some of the states strongest ethics rules.  Because of his efforts, Waterbury turned from a city on the brink of financial & ethical collapse into one of Connecticut’s top success stories.  See more on this on our "Issues" page.