Thomas D. Ritter

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.

Thomas D. Ritter
Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives
In office
January 1993 – January 1999
Preceded byRichard J. Balducci
Succeeded byMoira K. Lyons
Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives
In office
January 1981 – January 1999
Preceded byGeorge J. Ritter
Succeeded byBarnaby W. Horton
Constituency6th district (1981-1983)
2nd district (1983-1999)
Personal details
Born
Thomas Drummond Ritter

(1952-11-24) November 24, 1952
New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.[1]
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Christine E. Keller
ChildrenMatthew Ritter
ResidenceHartford, Connecticut
EducationAmherst College (BA)
University of Connecticut (JD)

Early life and education

Ritter attended Amherst College and later the University of Connecticut School of Law.

Family

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 Majority Leader of the Connecticut House of Representatives.[5]

Political career

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]

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 where at the center of a Connecticut Supreme Court case in 2016.[11]

References
  1. Ritter bio (click name)
  2. University of Connecticut (Class of 1977) Commencement
  3. HOUSE DISTRICT 2 - Hartford Courant, September 6, 1996
  4. 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.
  5. "Biography". ct.gov. Connecticut Democratic Party. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  6. Pazniokas, Mark. "The 2020 race for CT House majority leader is on". ctmirror.org. CT Mirror. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. Powell, Chris. "'Emoluments' a risk if Ritter chairs UConn trustees". theday.com. The Day. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  10. "Thomas D. Ritter Partner". brownrudnick.com. brownrudnick. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  11. Pazniokas, Mark. "CT Supreme Court rules in FOI case involving Ritter, CRRA". ctmirror.org. CT Mirror. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
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