Themis Klarides
| Themis Klarides | |
|---|---|
| Minority leader of the Connecticut House of Representatives | |
|
Assumed office January 7, 2015 - Present | |
| Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from the 114th district | |
|
Assumed office January 4, 1999 - Present | |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Republican |
| Residence | Seymour, Connecticut |
| Alma mater |
Trinity College Quinnipiac |
Themis Klarides is the current Republican Minority Leader in the Connecticut House of Representatives.
Biography
Klarides 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 as a "ring girl" for World Wrestling Entertainment.[3]
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]
Political Career
Klarides was elected to the House of Representatives as a Republican in 1998. She was re-elected in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012. She served as the deputy minority leader from 2007 to 2014, when she was selected by the membership of her party to become the minority leader effective with the 2015 session.[5] As the House Minority Leader, she has become one of the most outspoken critics of Governor Malloy.[6]
Election History
| Year | Office | District | Democratic | Republican | 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 Hayes | 36.1% | Themis Klarides | 63.9% | ||
| 2014 | Connecticut State Representative | 114th | Aldon Hayes | 33.5% | Themis Klarides | 66.5% | ||
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]
Personal Life
Themis Klarides is single and volunteers for numerous organizations, such as The Umbrella Domestic Violence Group, the Advisory Board of Fairfield County Safe Kids, the Derby School Special Friends Program and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. She was appointed to the Board of Directors of Griffin Health Services and is a member of the Residency Advisory Committee of Griffin Hospital.
References
- ↑ "Klarides, Themis". Our Campaigns.com. Retrieved 2014-03-26.
- ↑ "Themis Klarides' Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved 2014-03-26.
- ↑ "Themis Klarides, from WWE ring girl to House minority leader". Connecticut Post. Retrieved 2015-04-25.
- ↑ "Cohen & Wolf". Retrieved 2015-06-16.
- ↑ "Next GOP House leader says her style will be different". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2014-12-28.
- ↑ "Connecticut GOP Leaders Slam Democrats' State Budget". WNPR. Retrieved 2015-06-04.
- ↑ "State Set To Review Policies, Laws Relating To Sex Offenders". WNPR. Retrieved 2015-08-04.