Fairfield’s state Senator Tony Hwang will not seek a sixth term for office, instead announcing his intention to retire from public service.

“After many meaningful years of public service, I have decided that the time has come to step away from state elected office and begin the next chapter of my life,” Hwang said in a statement on Monday. “Serving the people of Connecticut’s 28th Senate District has been one of the greatest honors and privileges of my life.”

The Republican first entered politics in 2005, when he was elected to the town’s Representative Town Meeting. 

In 2008, Hwang made the jump to state politics, winning three consecutive terms to represent Fairfield at the State House and serving as state senator since 2014, when he became the first Asian-Pacific American state senator in the state’s history, according to his official biography.

The news of his retirement comes just a day after the senator published an opinion piece on the CT Insider calling on protecting democracy at the state and local levels.

“If we want to defend democracy nationally, we must first practice it locally. And if we fail to protect public input, open debate, and representative process here at home, then our rhetoric about democracy means very little at all,” Hwang argued.

Junior John Beam, a finance student who interned with Hwang during his 2024 campaign, told The Mirror he’s encouraged by the senator’s ability to set aside partisan politics.

“No matter what he achieved in the Senate, his ability to put labels aside and just see people for who they are,” Beam said. “Tony Hwang definitely saw that in everybody, in his ability to simply work on the issues rather than sticking to political lines.

Earlier this year, Hwang failed in his efforts to unseat Fairfield First Selectperson Christine Vitale in a special election he forced through a petition campaign following the death of First Selectman Bill Gerber in his second year of a four-year term.

During the campaign, Hwang was a student-favorite, with multiple Fizz posts promoting his bid and encouraging students to vote for the senator under the belief he would support “student rights.” He also spent time with students in The Tully. 

Hwang is expected to serve the remainder of his term before returning to his real estate profession.