A CT lawmaker is stepping into two major roles, one is national. It caught presidential attention

Hartford Courant – Tuesday, September 22, 2026
By Christopher Keating

Connecticut Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff opened his mail at his Fairfield County home recently and was surprised by what he saw.

Even though it came in a nondescript envelope, Duff did not cast it aside as junk mail.

Instead, it turned out to be a letter signed by former President Joe Biden congratulating Duff on becoming the new president-elect of the National Conference of State Legislatures. The national, bipartisan organization represents more than 7,000 lawmakers in all 50 states, along with more than 30,000 staff members.

“It actually came in an unmarked envelope — no return address,” Duff told The Courant in an interview. “I had no idea.”

He then remembered an earlier conversation that he had with a Democratic colleague.

“Somebody from his orbit asked me my home address, and I gave it,” Duff said. “But I didn’t know why they were asking. I didn’t know that was coming.”

A longtime supporter of Biden, Duff still backed the president even after his high-profile stumbles in a nationally televised debate with Republican Donald J. Trump in 2020. While other Democrats quickly abandoned Biden and criticized him both publicly and privately, Duff remained steadfast in his support and referred to Biden as “the most accomplished president of our lifetime.”

In his letter, Biden wrote, “Our country’s local officials have some of the toughest jobs in politics, and they deserve nothing less than your capable leadership and commitment to meaningful collaboration. Lifelong public servants like you embody the best of America, and I know that in this new role, and through your continued work as a state senator, you will dedicate every ounce of your energy and effort to uplifting the people of Connecticut and our nation.”

Duff plans to frame the letter.

“I’ve probably been guilty of throwing stuff out that shouldn’t get thrown out,” Duff said. “But on this one, it had my title, and I thought it was something I should open. … I was opening it on my way from the mailbox in the driveway. I opened it up, and said, ‘Oh, my gosh, this is so awesome.’ ”

More responsibilities

A well-known group in the political world, NSCL provides nonpartisan research on a wide variety of issues from taxes and criminal justice to education, healthcare and energy. Members often testify in front of Congress on key issues.

Duff currently serves as president-elect of NCSL, and he will become president by August 2027. He will become the first Connecticut resident to lead NCSL in 40 years — House Speaker Irving Stolberg of New Haven served in 1986-87.

In his new role as NCSL president next year, Duff will be doing more traveling to represent the group around the country. At the same time, he is also scheduled to become the Senate President pro tempore, replacing longtime Senator Marty Looney of New Haven. That will give Duff a full plate of responsibilities that he says he will be able to accomplish.

“Look, my constituents and caucus always come first,” Duff said. “Our state business always comes first. There’s definitely extra responsibilities, but you’ve just got to balance it out. … My kids are older. One is in college. One is out of college. I couldn’t do this when the kids were younger.”

Unlike some other organizations, NCSL alternates from year to year with a Republican as president for one year and then a Democrat in the following year.

Duff has already served for a year as vice president, and he is president-elect in the current year. He is believed to be the first Connecticut senator to become president-elect.

“In its 50 years of advancing the work of state legislators, NCSL has uniquely fostered a collaborative attitude that puts bipartisanship into action and has created lasting partnerships among the states,” Duff said upon becoming vice president. “It’s not lost on me that this will provide Connecticut with direct connections to some of the best ideas, people and resources in the country. I’m focused on what this means for my state – this is great news for Connecticut Senate Democrats, the Connecticut legislature and the 3.6 million people who call Connecticut home.”

After starting in the state House of Representatives in 2002 from his hometown of Norwalk, Duff later was elected to the Senate in 2004 and became majority leader in 2015.

When he is not working in Hartford, Duff has worked as a real estate agent for more than 30 years with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty.

In his role as vice president at NCSL, Duff sent a letter as a representative of the organization to urge Congress to pass a strong version of the Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act, which covered various online safety bills for children that had passed on a party-line vote in the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The group has pushed for stronger protections for children who are exposed to online platforms and social media.

“Connecticut has been out in front on protecting children online,” Duff said at the time. “The last thing we need is Congress locking in weaker standards that shield these companies from accountability.”

To this day, Duff supports Biden.

“I felt he was a good president and did a good job,” Duff said. “I knew that he deserved re-election because he was making such a positive difference for the country.”

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