MD Rahman immigrated to the United States with little more than the American Dream in his back pocket. Twenty-five years later, he owns several businesses, creates hundreds of jobs each year, and has employed over 5,000 people.
Success did not come easy. His first job was working as a waiter. So was his second. And his third. But he worked hard, saved what he could, and from that humble start, eventually created a small import/export company. Today he is the CEO of several businesses in healthcare, construction, and real estate investment.
MD lives in Manchester with his wife Yelena and their three children.
Voting Record
Actions speak louder than words, and those actions are listed in their voting record. The names of bills do not necessarily reflect what’s inside them. Someone might be for Mandatory Childhood Vaccines but vote against the bill due the way that they believe it was implemented. If you are curious about why your representative voted a specific way, contact them and ask.
Government
- Voted YES to SB-501 – Amends Motor Vehicle Property Tax Assessments
- Voted YES to SB-998 : Establishes a Tax Abatement for Certain Conservation Easements and Amends Affordable Housing Regulations for Residents
- Voted YES to HB-5474 : Requires All Municipalities Submit an Annual Report to the Office of Responsible Growth
- Voted YES to SB-299 : Requires Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to Evaluate Impact of Large Data Centers on Grid Reliability
- Voted YES to SB-136 : Increases the Retirement Contribution Rate for State Employees from 3 to 5%
- Voted YES to SB-351 : Increases Recording Fee that Funds the Community Investment Account by 5 Dollars
- Voted YES to SB-111 : Establishes Emergency Home Energy Assistance
Education
- Voted YES to HB 5523 : Appropriates Funding for the State Higher Education Budget
- Voted YES to HB-5003 : Increases Education Funding By Changing Formula for Funding and Removing Tuition
- Voted YES to SB-1 : Establishes Transparency Requirements in Education
- Voted YES to SB-203 : Prohibits Legacy Admissions in Higher Education Institutions
- Voted YES to SB-356 : Repeals Prohibition of Compensation for Education Board Members
- Voted YES to SB-123 : Prohibits an Individual From Causing Another Individual to Incur a Coerced Debt
- Voted YES to HB-6942 : Appropriates Funds for Bond Packages for School Construction and Public Financing Grants for Gubernatorial Campaigns
Environment
- Voted YES to SB-290 : Amends State Environment Statutes
- Co-sponsor to HB-5004 : Amends Various State Climate Change Regulations to Reduce Greenhouse Gases
Business
- Voted YES to HB-5431 : Establishes the Connecticut Families and Workers Account
- Co-sponsor to SB-2 : Establishes Several Artificial Intelligence Regulations and Prohibitions
- Voted YES to SB-3 : Require Certain Broadband Internet access Service Providers to Provide Affordable Broadband Internet Access Service and Other Changes
- Co-sponsor to SB-149 : Prohibits Certain Foreclosure Processes and Other Enforcement Actions
- Voted YES to SB-201 : Prohibits Real Estate Listing Providers from Entering and Creating Unfair Agreements for Individuals Interested in Real Estate Property
- Voted YES to SB-409 : Prohibits Wage Theft from Contracted Workers
- Voted YES to SB-222 : Amends State Paid Family And Medical Leave Statutes
- Voted YES to SB-228 : Requires Employees Keep Healthcare Coverage after a Labor Dispute
Healthcare
- Voted YES to SB-1 : Authorizes Various Healthcare Reforms and Improvements
- Voted YES to SB-1108 : Increases Access to Reproductive Healthcare at Public Higher Education Institutions
Law and Order
- Voted YES to HB-6888 : Amends Various Juvenile Justice Policies and Regulations
- Voted YES to SB-1147 : Authorizes the Department of Energy and Environmental Protections to Amend Environmental Justice Permit Processes
Marriage
- Voted YES to HB-6569 : Increases the Minimum Age to Marry to 18 Years Old
Other
- Co-sponsor to HJ-34 : Establishes a Joint Resolution Recognizing the Harm Done by the Salem Witch Trials
Platform
Jobs & Economy
He believes that to sustain and grow our middle class, we need a state government that fosters growth through targeted investments, reduced college and technical school costs, and aligns our workforce with the jobs of tomorrow.
Healthcare
MD believes that healthcare is a right, not a privilege. He’ll support a Public Option, and will always ensure our safety net is fully funded.
Education
MD supports publicly funded community college and technical schools, paying and treating teachers as professionals, universal pre-Kindergarten, and funding mental health programs in schools.
Women’s Rights
MD fights to strengthen women’s rights in Connecticut to help end the pay-gap, increase funding of and minimum contracts for women-owned businesses, continue to strengthen domestic violence legislation, and protect a woman’s right to choose.
Unions
MD will support workers’ right to organize, protect existing collective bargaining rights, and ensure that we invest in apprentice programs for union workers. He believes that Project Labor Agreements and Prevailing Wage laws should be expanded to lower funding limits and be codified into all taxpayer funded projects.
Reproductive Rights
Abortion is a woman’s right, fullstop.
LGBTQ+ Rights
MD supports defend LGBTQ+ rights and supports access to medical care for all children and adults. He supports GLSEN Policy Recommendations and public school curriculum that includes instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity. He also supports the inclusion of gender-neutral bathrooms in all taxpayer-funded construction and renovation projects.
Gun Safety
MD supports keeping guns out of the wrong hands must remain a priority. MD will work to strengthen our prohibitions on ghost guns and illegal weapons, require training for firearm permits, and fund mental health programs.
Transportation
MD supports investing in our electric grid and electric-car charging infrastructure, and make more communities walkable and bikeable through funding of complete street initiatives and transportation-oriented housing
Affordable Housing
This letter was sent by MD Rahman in regards to 8-30g
Thank you for reaching out to me about your concerns on 8-30g. As you may know this statue is contentious and people often feel very strongly in support or against it.
Zoning in Connecticut is largely left up to the town. 8-30g aims to create more affordable housing while still maintaining local control. I recognize that 8-30g can create a negative relationship between towns and developers but there are also many developments that towns would never have approve unless it was an 8-30g project. The state is currently in an affordable housing crisis and we need to build more housing of all kinds.
I welcome any feedback you have and would like to hear your thoughts on how this statute could potential be improved.
Giving Back to the Community
MD’s passion is giving back to the community. In addition to his charity work and COVID clinics, he serves on the Governor’s Hate Crime Advisory Council, the Manchester Charter Revision Commission, and the Property Maintenance Board of Appeals.
He is Co-Chair of the Asian American and Pacific Island (AAPI) Democratic Caucus and founder of the Bangladesh Bhaban Community Center in Manchester, CT.
MD is the Vice Chair of the Central CT Education Foundation, former member of the 2020 CT Census Advisory Board, former President of the Centennial Lions Club, and currently serves on the Board of the Central CT Chamber of Commerce.