Thomas D. Ritter
Thomas D. Ritter | |
|---|---|
| Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives | |
| In office January 1993 – January 1999 | |
| Preceded by | Richard J. Balducci |
| Succeeded by | Moira K. Lyons |
| Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives | |
| In office January 1981 – January 1999 | |
| Preceded by | George J. Ritter |
| Succeeded by | Barnaby Horton |
| Constituency | 6th district (1981-1983) 2nd district (1983-1999) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Thomas Drummond Ritter November 24, 1952 New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.[1] |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Christine E. Keller |
| Children | Matthew Ritter |
| Residence | Hartford, Connecticut |
| Education | Amherst College (BA) University of Connecticut (JD) |
Thomas Drummond Ritter[2] (born November 24, 1952)[3] is an American lawyer, lobbyist, and retired politician from Connecticut who was the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1993-1998.
Early life and education
[edit]Ritter attended Amherst College and later the University of Connecticut School of Law.
Family
[edit]Ritter’s wife Christine E. Keller is an appellate court judge. Both his father and his brother are former lawmakers.[4] His son Matthew Ritter is also a lawyer and State Representative as well as the current Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives.[5]
Political career
[edit]Ritter served on the Hartford Democratic Town Committee from 1975 to 1980 and was a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1980 to 1998. He was speaker from 1993-1998.[1]
Ritter and Moira K. Lyons are the only three term Speakers in history of the Connecticut House of Representatives.[6]
Ritter sits on the UCONN board of directors.[4] In 2019 he became the acting chair of the board when chairman Kruger stepped down.[7] Kruger has named West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor as his preferred permanent successor over Ritter, writing that "it’s time for the University board to be led by a woman.”[8] Some have cited emoluments as a potential risk of his chairmanship.[9]
Legal career
[edit]Ritter is currently a partner at the law firm of Brown Rudnick.[10] Prior to joining the firm, he worked as an attorney for the Hartford Corporation Counsel and was in private practice for many years.[10] Freedom of information act requests for communications between Ritter and his client the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority were at the center of a Connecticut Supreme Court case in 2016.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Ritter bio (click name)
- ^ University of Connecticut (Class of 1977) Commencement
- ^ HOUSE DISTRICT 2 - Hartford Courant, September 6, 1996
- ^ a b Pazniokas, Mark. "Two political veterans — Tom Ritter and Shari Cantor — on short list as next chair of the UConn board of trustees". courant.com. The Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
- ^ "Biography". ct.gov. Connecticut Democratic Party. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
- ^ Pazniokas, Mark. "The 2020 race for CT House majority leader is on". ctmirror.org. CT Mirror. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
- ^ Green, Rick. "Kruger steps down as chair of UConn trustees; Ritter will serve as interim leader". courant.com. The Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
- ^ Pazniokas, Mark (April 12, 2019). "Two political veterans — Tom Ritter and Shari Cantor — on short list as next chair of the UConn board of trustees". The Hartford Courant. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
- ^ Powell, Chris. "'Emoluments' a risk if Ritter chairs UConn trustees". theday.com. The Day. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
- ^ a b "Thomas D. Ritter Partner". brownrudnick.com. brownrudnick. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
- ^ Pazniokas, Mark. "CT Supreme Court rules in FOI case involving Ritter, CRRA". ctmirror.org. CT Mirror. Retrieved 2 May 2019.