Themis Klarides in 2022 CT Senate race


On Crime: Early-release program has let loose many violent offenders

Governor Lamont has continued Dan Malloy's failed policies that have released thousands of convicts through an early-release program aimed at lowering the state's prison population. The prison population has shrunk, but only because the state has simply let loose convicted felons, including many violent offenders who were serving time for some of the worst offenses.
Source: CT Examiner on 2022 Connecticut Senate race Jul 10, 2021

On Abortion: Her voting record endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut

Leora Levy, a member of the Republican National Committee and a candidate for U.S. Senate, campaigned in the throng. "I am a pro-life Republican," Levy said. Her appearance foreshadows abortion becoming a wedge issue in a Republican primary. Her main rival, former state House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, is a supporter of abortion rights with a voting record endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut.
Source: The Connecticut Mirror on 2022 Connecticut Senate race Jan 31, 2022

On Budget & Economy: Democrats coming to pick you pocket instead of spending cuts

There is a looming $2.5 billion deficit projected in the next two fiscal years that the Democrats ignored just long enough to hide their tax schemes until after Election Day. Spending cuts? Not in their playbook. Now that they have cemented their majorities in the legislature, the Democrats are coming to pick your pocket--with such alarming speed they caught their very own Gov. Ned Lamont off guard.
Source: CT Post on 2022 Connecticut Senate race Jan 28, 2021

On Civil Rights: 2012: Urged GOP to support civil unions for same sex couples

At the Republican National Convention in 2012, Klarides urged the GOP to consider endorsing civil unions for same-sex couples, a suggestion that won little support.
Source: Hartford Business Journal on 2022 Connecticut Senate race Jan 31, 2022

On Crime: Against legislation removing important police protections

Themis Klarides served as the Republican leader of the Connecticut House of Representatives from 2014 to 2020, she was the first woman to hold the position. In the legislature Themis led the fight against runaway spending, while working to support law enforcement and strengthen education. During the 2020 debate over the Police Accountability Act, Themis stood with law enforcement and against legislation that would've removed important police protections.
Source: 2022 Connecticut Senate campaign website Themis2022.com Mar 31, 2022

On Drugs: Increase penalties for fentanyl, treat it like a narcotic

A bill introduced by Klarides, the House minority leader, would amend the definition of narcotic substance to include fentanyl, which currently is only listed as a synthetic drug, meaning it carries a lesser sentence. "Opioid deaths have been doubling every year since 2013," Klarides said during a public hearing on the bill this week. "All I'm asking for is parity" with penalties for other drugs, Klarides told the committee.
Source: CT News Junkie on 2022 Connecticut Senate race Apr 4, 2019

On Government Reform: Doesn't agree with Trump that 2020 election was stolen

A year ago, Klarides quickly distanced herself from Trump's claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. She said Trump had the right to pursue all legal avenues contesting the election, but all failed.
Source: Hartford Business Journal on 2022 Connecticut Senate race Jan 31, 2022

On Gun Control: Supported gun control measure adopted after Sandy Hook

Klarides is a fiscal conservative with a moderate voting record on some non-fiscal issues, most notably supporting the gun control measure adopted after Sandy Hook, abortion rights and gay rights.
Source: Hartford Business Journal on 2022 Connecticut Senate race Jan 31, 2022

On Health Care: Supported adequate funding of state's Medicaid program

The Connecticut Association of Optometrists has selected State Rep. Themis Klarides as ?"Legislator Champion" for her work in ensuring that health insurance and state health programs cover vision care services for children. CAO also thanked Rep. Klarides for her support of adequate funding of the state's Medicaid program, which provides vital healthcare services to over 400,000 Connecticut residents.
Source: Valley Independent Sentinel on 2022 Connecticut Senate race Oct 23, 2018

On Immigration: Opposed driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants

[On driver licenses]: "Without a study or any effort to thoroughly vet this concept, we can only speculate the impact this bill will have on homeland security, public safety, insurance policy holders and insurance companies. Perhaps even more troubling is that we have no plan to allocate the financial and staff resources needed for the DMV to manage the colossal influx of demand that will cripple their day-to-day operations," she said in a statement.
Source: NBC News on 2022 Connecticut Senate race May 30, 2013

On Social Security: Supported increased tax exemption for Social Security

Part of the first bipartisan budget included an increased tax exemption for Social Security, which Lamont is proposing to eliminate. "That's certainly not a path that I'm interested in going down," House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby, said about the Social Security exemption. Overall, she said, the governor's budget takes pressure off the state and places it onto taxpayers.
Source: Journal Inquirer on 2022 Connecticut Senate race Feb 21, 2019

On Tax Reform: Connecticut GOP stands for cutting taxes, limiting spending

Klarides said she offers an alternative to the status quo. "I believe I represent Connecticut's brand of Republicanism which stands for cutting taxes, limiting spending, keeping people safe, supporting law enforcement," she said.
Source: NBC News on 2022 Connecticut Senate race Jan 31, 2022

On Abortion: Pro-choice

Issues like abortion, gun control and the economy divided this primary race. Levy is running pro-life and pro-gun.

[Republican opponent] Lumaj says the Supreme Court "got it right" overturning Roe v. Wade, but claims opponent Levy flip-flopped her views on abortion. Levy said "no," and instead cited a change of heart, adding "life begins at conception."

On the other side, Klarides on the other side stated multiple times she is pro-choice.

Source: Hartford Courant on 2022 Connecticut Senate race Jul 26, 2022

The above quotations are from 2022 Connecticut Senate race: debates and news coverage.
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Themis Klarides on other issues:
Abortion
Budget/Economy
Civil Rights
Corporations
Crime
Drugs
Education
Energy/Oil
Environment
Families
Foreign Policy
Free Trade
Govt. Reform
Gun Control
Health Care
Homeland Security
Immigration
Jobs
Principles
Social Security
Tax Reform
Technology
War/Peace
Welfare
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Page last updated: Feb 14, 2023