Themis Klarides

Themis Klarides (born August 3, 1965) is the current Republican Minority Leader in the Connecticut House of Representatives.

Themis Klarides
Minority Leader of the Connecticut House of Representatives
Assumed office
January 7, 2015
Preceded byLawrence F. Cafero
Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives
from the 114th district
Assumed office
January 4, 1999
Preceded byEllen Scalettar
Personal details
Born (1965-08-03) August 3, 1965
Seymour, Connecticut, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
RelativesNicole Klarides-Ditria (sister)
EducationTrinity College, Connecticut (BA)
Quinnipiac University (JD)

Early life and education

Klarides, a resident of Derby, Connecticut, is a native of Seymour, Connecticut.[1] She graduated from Trinity College and the Quinnipiac University School of Law.[2] Prior to a career in politics and law, Themis worked as a model and competed as a body builder. After law school, she worked for World Wrestling Entertainment.[3]

Professional career

Themis is admitted to practice law in Connecticut and the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. She is a member of the Association for Conflict Resolution, the Connecticut Bar Association and the New Haven County Bar Association. She is currently employed at Cohen & Wolf as a member of the firm's litigation and bankruptcy groups.[4]

As a member of the Walter Camp Football Foundation, Rep. Klarides is committed to improving education for all of Connecticut’s children. In 2010, Rep. Klarides was given the annual “Champion of Youth” award by the Connecticut Coalition of Boys & Girls Clubs. She also received the 2010 “Children’s Champion” award given annually by the Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance

She has worked closely with The Umbrella, Center for Domestic Violence Services (A program of BHcare), working to assist victims of domestic violence and providing volunteer legal assistance to women and children at the shelter for victims of domestic violence.

Rep. Klarides has received several awards from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), and received their Government Leaders Against Drunk Driving Award in 2016 for her efforts in passing legislation aimed at tightening restrictions against drunk driving offenders.

Since 2006, she has served on Griffin Hospital’s the Board of Directors and in 2016 was named Second Vice Chairman.

A native of Seymour, Themis Klarides was raised around a family supermarket business that taught her the value of hard work and the rewards of community involvement. Her commitment to these values is exemplified through her years of community service with various municipal, state and regional groups. She is a former member of the Planning and Zoning Commission in Derby, and a former member of the Board of Finance in Seymour.

Political career

Klarides was elected to the House of Representatives as a Republican in 1998 from the 114th District, serving the towns of Derby, Orange and Woodbridge. She has been re-elected every term since. She served as the Deputy Minority leader from 2007 to 2014, when she was selected by the membership of her caucus to become the first female leader for the House Republicans effective with the 2015 session.[5] As the House Minority Leader, she has become a leading advocate for fiscal restraint, regulatory reform, job creation and tax relief. She has been an outspoken critic of Governor Malloy and the Democratic tax policies that resulted in the two largest tax increases in state history.

Positions

Representative Klarides has long advocated for reforms to Connecticut's sex offender registry. In 2015, she championed a bill that created a committee to review the state's sex offender registry laws & regulations. Her position is to have a registry that significantly increases the level of detail on an offender's profile.[7]

She is an outspoken advocate for first responders and public safety personnel including firefighters, police, and emergency medical technicians.

The Radiological Society of Connecticut honored her in 2016 for her work in preventable healthcare services for women.

Election history
Year Office District Democratic Republican Working Families Independent
1998 Connecticut State Representative 114th Patricia M. Pearson 46.1% Themis Klarides 53.3% Daniel V. Presnick 0.6%
2000 Connecticut State Representative 114th William M. Spader, Jr. 42.1% Themis Klarides 57.3% Daniel V. Presnick 0.6%
2002 Connecticut State Representative 114th Themis Klarides 100.0%
2004 Connecticut State Representative 114th Themis Klarides 100.0%
2006 Connecticut State Representative 114th Suzanne Mizzoni 33.1% Themis Klarides 66.9%
2008 Connecticut State Representative 114th Marc J. Garofalo 44.7% Themis Klarides 55.3%
2010 Connecticut State Representative 114th Joshua D. Hershman 39.0% Themis Klarides 61.0%
2012 Connecticut State Representative 114th Aldon Hynes 36.1% Themis Klarides 63.9%
2014 Connecticut State Representative 114th Aldon Hynes 33.5% Themis Klarides 66.5%
2016 Connecticut State Representative 114th Themis Klarides 85.1% Aldon Hynes 14.9%
2018 Connecticut State Representative 114th Mary Welander 45.6% Themis Klarides 54.4%
Connecticut House of Representatives
Preceded by
Lawrence F. Cafero		 Minority Leader of the Connecticut House of Representatives
2015–present		 Incumbent
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