Connecticut Rep. Prasad Srinivasan launches bid for governor

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Mr. Prasad Srinivasan, a fourth-term state representative in Connecticut, says he is working towards a “better Connecticut” to ensure that the children of his state have a better future. The Glastonbury resident who was elected to the state House of Representatives six years ago announced last week that he was joining gubernatorial race as a Republican candidate.

The 67-year-old allergist said he saw no need to leave himself the flexibility of an exploratory committee, which would have allowed him to raise money to be used for any state office. He is running to be elected governor, not angle for a spot on the under-ticket, he told the Hartford Courant.

On Nov. 8, 2016, Srinivasan was elected to his fourth term as the State Representative of the Glastonbury 31st Assembly District. He is an Assistant Republican Leader and Ranking Member of the Public Health committee in Connecticut General Assembly besides being a member of Environment and Judiciary committees.

“I am very clear in my mind,” he said, about his decision to run for governor. He told the Hartford Courant that he has been toying with idea for a while and after discussions with his wife, they decided the time was right to run for this position. “I am old enough,” he said, “and I am young enough.”

“I am running to be your governor because I know that, if we work together, we can make these changes and put Connecticut on the right track,” he says on his website.

In 2012, Srinivasan opposed the legalization of cannabis for medical saying that while he believed in its efficacy, he was troubled by questions of practicality. How could the state regulate the sale of controlled substance whose production and sale were prohibited by federal law? he questioned.

But he relented in 2016 and voted to expand the law to allow the limited use of cannabis to treat children with conditions not treatable by conventional means.

He also voted against repeal of the death penalty in 2012. He supported passage of the sweeping gun-control law passed in 2013 in response to the Sandy Hook School shooting of 26 children and staff.

Srinivasan moved to Connecticut in 1980 and worked at the Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn at the chief pediatric resident. A graduate of Baroda Medical College, Srinivasan did his fellowship in allergy and immunology at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago. He is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and the American Board of Allergy and Immunology.

He is married to Kala Prasad, a professional musician for over 30 years. Their two children graduated from Glastonbury High school. Their son, Dr. Sashank Prasad, is an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. Their daughter, Anusha Prasad-Rodriguez is the head of Alternate Investments at Oppenheimer.