2nd House District: Carter wants to be GOP candidate

Written by Susan Wolf

Republican Dan Carter of Bethel has already won the Redding Republican Town Committee’s endorsement to run for the 2nd House District seat in November. Now he has the Bethel Republican Town Committee’s endorsement as well.

Mr. Carter, who until now had not formally announced his candidacy, hopes to win the seat held by the Democratic incumbent, Jason Bartlett. He no longer has Republican opposition since Republican Melanie O’Brien, also of Bethel, has withdrawn from the race “due to an increase in personal and professional obligations...”

The 2nd House District seat includes Bethel, Danbury and part of Redding.

Mr. Carter, a former Redding resident who lives in Bethel, said he is running to bring common sense back to state government.

“The evidence is clear: Connecticut has been heading down a path to fiscal and economic ruin. You cannot on one hand claim to be trying to help create jobs, and on the other hand force mandates down the throats of businesses,” Mr. Carter said.

The candidate is a former representative in the health-care industry. He was an active member in the U.S. Air Force. He began his flying career as a C-130 Hercules pilot, which took him to more than 60 countries.

After serving in Saudi Arabia in support of Desert Storm, he flew a variety of missions including two tours over war-torn Bosnia with NATO and missions supporting the U.S. drug interdiction program in Central America. In addition to flying, he became the officer in charge of the combat readiness of the unit. After spending some time as a C-130 aircraft commander, Mr. Carter became a flight instructor and group director.

He has continued his career in the Air Force as a reservist and is a member of several veterans organizations.

He has a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in aeronautical science. While in Redding he was a member of Redding Fire and EMS Company #1 and served on the Park and Recreation Commission. He has two children, Whitney and Dylan.

Mr. Carter initially planned to run this year for a congressional seat but later decided this race was too crowded, he said. “It was just not the right race for me,” he said. People who know him, he said, felt the state representative post “was a better fit for me.”

The Republican convention for the 2nd House District seat is May 11 at Bethel Town Hall.