Prague, Edith G.

District towns: Andover, Bozrah, Columbia, Franklin, Hebron, Lebanon, Ledyard, Lisbon, Montville, Norwich, Sprague

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Election history: Prague was elected to the Senate in 1994, succeeding Democrat Ken Przybysz, whom she beat in a Democratic primary.

She also was elected to five terms in the House, beginning in 1982. But she resigned before the start of her fifth term to accept a post in Gov. Lowell P. Weicker Jr.'s administration.

In 2008, she was cross-endorsed by the Working Families Party and unopposed by Republicans.

2008 general election:

Public financing: Prague withdrew her application for public financing under the Citizens' Election Program.

Background: Prague left the state House of Representatives for a brief, unhappy tenure as Gov. Lowell P. Weicker Jr.'s commissioner of aging, fighting with Weicker over cuts to her agency and other providers of social services. Weicker fired her in 1992. Two years later, she resumed her legislative career as a state senator.

Prague is a former teacher and medical social worker whose legislative record reflects a belief that government is responsible for a safety net of social services and that business should share the burden. She has voted to raise the minimum wage, extend workers' compensation benefits and require that companies provide paid sick days.

In a questionnaire for Project Vote Smart, Prague said she would "greatly increase" spending for education, health care, the environment and transportation and maintain spending in other areas.

Prague has crusaded against drunken driven for two decades, winning praise from Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the National Commission on Drunk Driving. But she stood by her constituent, political ally and fellow Labor co-chair, Rep. Kevin Ryan, D-Montville, after he was convicted and jailed on a third DUI.

Prague, whose 85th birthday is three weeks after the 2010 election, said she intends to seek re-election.

Prague lives in Columbia. She is widowed and has four daughters and four grandchildren.

Committees: Aging (co-chair), Appropriations, Labor (co-chair), Public Health

Education: B.S., Eastern Connecticut State University; M.S.W., University of Connecticut

Occupation: Legislator

2008 Financial Disclosure: Prague reported extensive investments, with stock in every sector of the market. Her financial disclosure was the most detailed filed by any legislator, listing the value of her stock holdings, which exceeds the requirements of state ethics law.

She had no debts in excess of $10,000.

A note on financial disclosure: Every spring, officials are required to disclose the ownership of real estate, the source of any income exceeding $1,000 in the previous calendar year and securities worth more than $5,000. They also are required to file an addendum in which they report any debt of more than $10,000; this may by law be kept confidential.