State Rep. Livvy Floren, R-149th District, chats with colleague Tony Hwang, R-134th District, at the Capitol in Hartford, Conn., on Thursday, February 6, 2014.
Eight is apparently not enough for Livvy Floren.
Six weeks after announcing her plans to retire at end of the year — a decision that was met by an outpouring of well wishes from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including a telephone call from Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy — the dean of Greenwich’s delegation to the General Assembly has had an unexpected change of heart.
With fellow Republicans struggling to come up with a succession plan, Floren, 71, told Greenwich Time Wednesday that she will put off retirement to seek an eighth two-year term state representative in the 149th District.
“I’ve been thinking very seriously,” Floren said. “I’ve just been getting overwhelming support from constituents, my family and colleagues. I just thought, I better re-evaluate.”
The prospect of surrendering her post on the State Bond Commission and the General Assembly’s Select Committee on Aging, where she has seniority on both, Floren said caused her to have regrets about upcoming retirement.
“We have an awful lot of change going on in Hartford,” said Floren, who represents western, midcountry and backcountry Greenwich, as well as North Stamford and Stamford’s Westover Road corridor.
A resident of Greenwich for four decades who is married with four children, Floren previously served on the Board of Estimate and Taxation, as well as the Representative Town Meeting.
Since Floren announced she would forgo re-election, the GOP has labored to identify an heir apparent in what has been a reliably Republican district.
“I guess I thought it would play out differently,” Floren said. “There were some quality candidates that I thought were going to step forward, but it just wasn’t the right time. So there was a void.”