Quick Facts
LeoBiography
Themis Klarides (born August 3, 1965) is the current Republican Minority Leader in the Connecticut House of Representatives.
Early life and education
Klarides, a resident of Derby, Connecticut,is a native of Seymour, Connecticut. She graduated from Trinity College and the Quinnipiac University School of Law. 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.
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.
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. 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.
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% | ||||