Dan DeBarba. Contributed photo.
Longtime Orange resident Dan DeBarba announced May 13 that he will seek the Republican nomination for the 114th District in the state House of Representatives. State Rep. Themis Klarides, a fellow Republican who currently holds the seat, has previously announced that she will not be seeking reelection.
“I first want to thank state Rep. Themis Klarides for her leadership and tireless commitment to the communities of Woodbridge, Orange, and Derby,” said DeBarba. “Our state is faced with extraordinary challenges and we need a representative in Hartford who can get right to work and continue to fight for our state and communities as Rep. Klarides has.”
DeBarba is a health care executive, small business owner, and CPA. He currently serves as the chief financial officer of a large hospital and health care system in New York. Prior to his current role, he was the president of both Norwalk Hospital and Danbury Hospital.
“Each and every day, I am amazed by the tremendous work and sacrifice made by our nurses, doctors, and first responders,” DeBarba said. “Hospitals and health care professionals in Connecticut and across the nation are doing everything they can to restore patient lives and to keep us all healthy. I have spent my career advocating for the needs of hospitals and their staff members and will continue to be a strong advocate for all of Connecticut’s hospitals, nurses, doctors, and first responders.”
“As a small business owner, I understand the significant challenges that small businesses face in Connecticut and will work diligently to improve the environment in which they operate,” DeBarba said. “Small businesses form the economic foundation upon which we all depend, and they must be supported.”
DeBarba is a lifelong Connecticut resident, having grown up in Wolcott and attended the University of Connecticut. While earning his undergraduate and graduate degrees, he served in the Connecticut Army National Guard for six years as a medic.
While at UConn, he met his wife Lynn, a nursing school student from Orange at the time. They have two sons and a daughter who all graduated from Amity High School. They recently had their first grandchild.
“I look forward to speaking with residents throughout the district and listening to their thoughts and ideas about how we restart, rebuild, and reshape Connecticut’s economy,” DeBarba said. “It is imperative that during this crisis we put political differences aside and work together as good neighbors to meet the extraordinary challenges we all face.”