DeBarba right choice for House

After 22 years of service as a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives, you may know that I’ve decided not to run for reelection in 2020. While I will greatly miss representing the great people of Woodbridge, Orange and Derby, I am very excited to support Dan DeBarba as your next state representative. A longtime resident of Orange and lifetime resident of our state, Dan is well-acquainted with the struggles facing middle-class families in Connecticut. If elected, I know he will put petty politics aside and do what is right for the residents of our district and the entire state of Connecticut.

Connecticut’s economic difficulties were apparent prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and have been exacerbated by the pandemic shutdown. More than ever, Connecticut needs lawmakers with the financial experience to make sound economic decisions and the leadership experience to find balance between state competitiveness and an appropriate safety net. Dan’s record of accomplishments as a certified public accountant and health care executive make him eminently qualified to help Connecticut at this time of crisis.

In many ways, Dan’s humble beginnings shaped him into the industrious man he is today. He joined the Connecticut Army National Guard and worked as a medic to serve his country and to afford the cost of attending UConn. He took a year off before college to save money and worked two jobs throughout his college years. While at UConn, Dan met his wife Lynn, a nursing student from Orange at the time. Like so many, they both worked hard to pay the rent, save for a house, pay the mortgage and raise three children.

Before he served as chief financial officer of a New York multihospital organization, Dan was the president of both Norwalk Hospital and Danbury Hospital. These qualifications give him a unique perspective on the challenges faced by health care professionals and their families. With these qualifications, Dan’s readiness to serve Connecticut is plain to see.

Dan is committed to public service and wants to bring these experiences to bear upon Connecticut’s problems at this critical time in our state’s history. It is for these reasons that I am proud to endorse Dan DeBarba for state representative in the 114th District, and I urge my supporters to join me in voting for Dan on Nov. 3.

House Republican Leader Themis Klarides represents the 114th District in the state House of Representatives. She is not seeking reelection this year.