Eric Berthel | |
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| Member of theConnecticut State Senate from the 32nd District | |
| Assumed office March 3, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Rob Kane |
| Constituency | representsBethlehem,Bridgewater,Middlebury (part),Oxford,Roxbury,Seymour (part),Southbury,Washington,Watertown, andWoodbury |
| Member of theConnecticut House of Representatives from the 68th District | |
| In office February 7, 2014 – March 2, 2017 | |
| Preceding | Sean Williams |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Polletta |
| Vice Chairman, Watertown Board of Education | |
| In office 2011–2014 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1967-03-28)March 28, 1967 (age 58) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Krista (m. 1996) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Watertown, Connecticut |
| Alma mater | Manhattanville College University of Bridgeport |
Eric C. Berthel (born March 28, 1967) is an American politician and aRepublican member of theConnecticut Senate, representing the 32nd District since 2017.
Berthel was born inBrooklyn, New York and attendedPomperaug Regional High School. He has aBachelor's degree fromManhattanville University inPurchase, New York and aMaster's degree from theUniversity of Bridgeport inBridgeport, Connecticut. He moved to Connecticut in 1976.[1]
In 2011, Berthel was elected toWatertown, Connecticut's Public Schools Board of Education, where he participated in all of the Board'ssubcommittees (four for which he served as achair), and served asBoard Secretary,Vice Chairman, and interim Chairman, as well as acting as the Boardliaison for three of five schools. He served until 2014, when he was elected to theState House of Representatives.[1]
Berthel has been theState Senator for the 32nd Senate District since 2017, representing part of theNaugatuck River Valley andLitchfield County in the Connecticut Senate, including the towns ofBethlehem,Bridgewater,Middlebury (part),Oxford,Roxbury,Seymour (part),Southbury,Washington,Watertown, andWoodbury.[2]
Berthel considered a run for the open congressional seat inConnecticut's 5th congressional district in 2018, but ultimately decided not to run, instead seeking reelection to the state Senate.[3]
In September 2020, Berthel's car was photographed with a window sticker supportingQAnon, a right-wing movement promoting baseless conspiracy theories. After the sticker came to attention on social media, Berthel initially defended the QAnon conspiracy theory by contending that it has "inspired more people to participate in policy and government."[4] Later that month, Berthel apologized, saying, "My failure to look into the movement more deeply, which I take full responsibility for, led me to overlook the extreme views of the movement which I don’t subscribe to and find abhorrent. It was my lack of fully understanding this movement that led me to put these words on my car for which I deeply regret."[5] Berthel's Democratic opponent Jeff Desmarais called Berthel's conduct "disqualifying" but Berthel nevertheless won a third term in the November 2020 election.[6]
Berthel has introduced legislation calling for the reintroduction ofbear hunting in Connecticut.[7]
Berthel and his wife, Krista, have two sons named Matthew and Paul and have lived inWatertown, Connecticut since 1998.[1]
Members of theConnecticut State Senate | ||
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