Eric Berthel
Eric Berthel | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Connecticut State Senate from the 32nd District | |
| Assumed office March 3, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Rob Kane |
| Constituency | represents Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Middlebury (part), Oxford, Roxbury, Seymour (part), Southbury, Washington, Watertown, and Woodbury |
| Member of the Connecticut 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 | March 28, 1967 Brooklyn, New York |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Krista (m. 1996) |
| Residence | Watertown, Connecticut |
| Alma mater | Manhattanville College University of Bridgeport |
Eric C. Berthel (born March 28, 1967) is an American politician and a Republican member of the Connecticut Senate, representing the 32nd District since 2017.
Berthel has been the State Senator for the 32nd Senate District since 2017, representing part of the Naugatuck River Valley and Litchfield County in the Connecticut Senate, including the towns of Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Middlebury (part), Oxford, Roxbury, Seymour (part), Southbury, Washington, Watertown, and Woodbury.[1]
Berthel considered a run for the open congressional seat in Connecticut's 5th congressional district in 2018, but ultimately decided not to run, instead seeking reelection to the state Senate.[2]
In September 2020, Berthel's car was photographed with a window sticker supporting QAnon, 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."[3] 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."[4] Berthel's Democratic opponent Jeff Desmarais called Berthel's conduct "disqualifying" but Berthel nevertheless won a third term in the November 2020 election.[5]
Berthel has introduced legislation calling for the reintroduction of bear hunting in Connecticut.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ Benjamin, Scott (28 February 2017). "GOP's Berthel narrowly holds on in District 32 special state Senate election". The News-Times. Archived from the original on 5 April 2018.
- ^ Ken Doxon, Berthel decides against 5th District run, Connecticut Post (April 10, 2018).
- ^ Jeff Cohen, After Social Media Post Raises Questions, GOP State Senator Defends QAnon Conspiracy Theory, WNPR (September 11, 2020).
- ^ Berthel, Eric (2020-09-25). "Apology offered for sticker from 'extreme' movement". Connecticut Post. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
- ^ Hanna Snyder Gambin, Despite QAnon controversy, Berthel wins third term in 32nd Senate District Archived 2021-06-17 at the Wayback Machine, Republican-American (November 4, 2020).
- ^ Liz Teitz, A fight over bear hunting is on, spurred by a hiker's run-in, Middletown Press (Oct. 1, 2019).
Members of the Connecticut State Senate | ||
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- 1967 births
- American conspiracy theorists
- Living people
- People from Watertown, Connecticut
- Manhattanville University alumni
- University of Bridgeport alumni
- Republican Party members of the Connecticut House of Representatives
- Republican Party Connecticut state senators
- 21st-century American legislators
- 21st-century Connecticut politicians