Matthew Ritter
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Matthew Ritter
| image = Portrait of Matthew Ritter.jpg
| office = Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives
| term_start = January 6, 2021
| term_end =
| predecessor = Joe Aresimowicz
| successor =
| office1 = Majority Leader of the Connecticut House of Representatives
| term_start1 = January 3, 2017
| term_end1 = January 6, 2021
| predecessor1 = Joe Aresimowicz
| successor1 = Jason Rojas
| state_house2 = Connecticut
| district2 = 1st
| term_start2 = January 5, 2011
| term_end2 =
| predecessor2 = Kenneth Green
| successor2 =
| birth_name = Matthew Delis Ritter
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1983|5|12}}
| birth_place = Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Democratic
| spouse = Marilyn Katz
| education = Colby College (BA)
University of Connecticut, Hartford (JD)
| website = {{url|housedems.ct.gov/Ritter|State House website}}
| parents = Thomas Ritter
}}
Matthew Delis Ritter{{cite web| url = https://www.martindale.com/hartford/connecticut/matthew-delis-ritter-17982877-a/| title = Matthew Delis Ritter Profile {{!}} Hartford, CT Lawyer {{!}} Martindale.com}} (born May 12, 1983)United States Public Records, 1970-2010 is an American attorney and politician. He currently serves as the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives for the Democratic Party and the 1st District.
Personal life
Ritter was born in Hartford, Connecticut. His father Thomas D. Ritter is a lawyer, lobbyist, and career politician who rose to be the Speaker of the House of the Connecticut House of Representatives, his mother Christine E. Keller is a Judge.{{cite web |last1=Pazniokas |first1=Mark |title=A more diverse judiciary, including a leader's brother-in-law |url=https://ctmirror.org/2018/04/06/diverse-judiciary-including-leaders-brother-law/ |website=ctmirror.org |publisher=CT Mirror |access-date=13 November 2018|date=2018-04-06 }} He attended Kingswood Oxford School,{{Cite web |url=https://www.kingswoodoxford.org/why-ko/outcomes/ |title=Alumni Outcomes |author= |publisher=Kingswood Oxford School |date=}} Colby College, and the University of Connecticut School of Law, graduating in 2007.{{Cite web |url=https://www.housedems.ct.gov/Ritter/Biography |title=Matt Ritter Biography |author= |publisher=CT House Democrats |date=}}
Business career
In 2007, Matthew Ritter took a job with Hartford law firm Shipman and Goodwin, LLP.{{cite web |title=People |url=http://www.shipmangoodwin.com/bios.aspx |website=www.shipmangoodwin.com/ |publisher=Shipman Goodwin |access-date=29 June 2018}} He is a Partner specializing in public finance, municipal law and election law.{{cite web |title=Matthew D. Ritter |url=http://www.shipmangoodwin.com/mritter |website=shipmangoodwin.com |publisher=Shipman & Goodwin LLC |access-date=13 November 2018}}
Political career
He spent three years on the Hartford City Council prior to his election to the State Assembly, while on the Council he chaired the Planning & Economic Development and Legislative Affairs committees.{{cite web |title=Biography |url=http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Ritter/Biography |website=housedems.ct.gov |publisher=Connecticut Democratic Party |access-date=29 November 2018|date=2015-12-17 }} In 2010, Ritter defeated incumbent Kenneth Green in the Democratic primary 1,153 votes to 1,151 votes. He won election to the heavily Democratic 1st assembly district in a three-way race defeating Republican Kenneth Lerman and Connecticut for Lieberman candidate Emanuel L. Blake.{{cite web |url=https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Election-Services/Election-Results/Election-Results |title=CURRENT: ELECTION RESULTS |website=CT.gov |publisher=Office of the Secretary of State}} Ritter became the Majority Leader of the Connecticut House of Representatives on January 9, 2013. In 2017, he defeated Republican challenger Ken Lerman 92% to 8%.{{cite news |title=Connecticut 1st District State House Results: Matthew Ritter Wins |url=https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/connecticut-state-house-district-1 |website=The New York Times |date=August 2017 |access-date=29 June 2018}} Ritter is the Vice chair of the General Assembly's Legislative Management Committee.{{cite web |title=Legislative Management Committee, Connecticut General Assembly |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Legislative_Management_Committee,_Connecticut_General_Assembly |website=ballotpedia.org |publisher=ballotpedia |access-date=13 November 2018}}
Electoral history
= 2010 =
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Democratic primary: Connecticut's 1st House of Representatives district election, 2010
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Matthew Ritter
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 1,153
| percentage = 50.043%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Kenneth Green
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 1,151
| percentage = 49.957%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 2,304
| percentage= 100%
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Connecticut's 1st House of Representatives district election, 2010
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Matthew Ritter
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 4,628
| percentage = 90.232%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Kenneth Lerman
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = 398
| percentage = 7.76%
}}
{{Election box candidate no change
| candidate = Kenneth Lerman
| party = Connecticut for Lieberman
| color = #ffff2a
| votes = 103
| percentage = 2.008%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 5,129
| percentage= 100%
}}
{{Election box end}}
= 2020 =
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Connecticut's 1st House of Representatives district election, 2020
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Matthew Ritter
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 5,198
| percentage = 91.773%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Mark Greenstein
| party = Independent
| votes = 290
| percentage = 5.12%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Daniel Piper
| party = Independent
| votes = 176
| percentage = 3.107%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 5,664
| percentage= 100%
}}
{{Election box end}}
= 2022 =
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Connecticut's 1st House of Representatives district election, 2022
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Matthew Ritter
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 3,061
| percentage = 100%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 3,061
| percentage= 100%
}}
{{Election box end}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-ct-hs}}
{{s-bef
| before = Joe Aresimowicz
}}
{{s-ttl
| title = Majority Leader of the Connecticut House of Representatives
| years = 3 January 2017 – 6 January 2021
}}
{{s-aft
| after = Jason Rojas
}}
|-
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef
| before = Joe Aresimowicz
}}
{{s-ttl
| title = Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives
| years = 6 January 2021 – present
}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-end}}
{{Connecticut statewide political officials}}
{{Speakers of U.S. State Houses of Representatives}}
{{Connecticut House of Representatives}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ritter, Matthew}}
Category:Lawyers from Hartford, Connecticut
Category:Speakers of the Connecticut House of Representatives
Category:Politicians from Hartford, Connecticut
Category:University of Connecticut School of Law alumni
Category:21st-century members of the Connecticut General Assembly
{{Connecticut-politician-stub}}