George Gunther

Who was George Gunther?

George Lackman "Doc" Gunther was the longest-serving state legislator in Connecticut history. Senator Gunther represented the 21st Connecticut Senate District, comprising all of Shelton, most of Stratford, and parts of Monroe and Seymour, Connecticut, from 1966 to 2006. When Gunther retired in 2006, he was replaced by his protégé and former campaign manager, Dan Debicella from Shelton.

Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, he was a naturopath and had studied in Chicago, Illinois. Gunther first served on the Stratford Board of Education for four years, followed by five years on the Stratford Town Council, before being elected to the state Senate. Although he was the Deputy Minority Leader at Large for the Republican Party in the Connecticut Senate, Gunther had a reputation for following his own mind, particularly in regards to the welfare of Stratford. He was instrumental in Connecticut state government reform activities, including sponsoring formation of the state Property Review Committee to oversee state contracts.