Senator Eric Berthel Contact information

Chief Deputy Senate Republican Leader Eric Berthel was elected to represent the 32nd State Senatorial District in a special election on Feb. 28, 2017. The district now includes the towns of Bethel, Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Brookfield, Middlebury, Oxford, Roxbury, Seymour, Southbury, Washington, Watertown and Woodbury. He was elected by the people of the 32nd District to serve a fourth term in 2022.

Prior to that, he represented the 68th House District serving Watertown, Oakville and Woodbury.

Senator Berthel was reappointed to serve as the Republican ranking member on the legislature’s Banking and Education Committees. In addition, he will serve as ranking member on the legislature’s Appropriations Committee and is co-chair of the Internship Committee.

Eric was born in Brooklyn, New York and has lived in Connecticut since 1976. He is a graduate of Pomperaug Regional High School in Southbury, holds a bachelor’s degree from Manhattanville College and master’s degree from the University of Bridgeport. He and his wife Krista have lived in Watertown since 1998 with their two boys Matthew and Paul.

He has demonstrated his commitment to serve through his extensive involvement with the Watertown Board of Education during the last few years. In addition to the regular work of the Board, he has participated in all the Board subcommittees, served as a chair of four of those subcommittees, served as Board Secretary and as Vice Chairman. He was also the Board liaison for three of five schools in Watertown and Oakville.

In 2013, he was appointed to the special subcommittee for the evaluation of the Superintendent and in 2014 to the special subcommittee for the search for the new Superintendent.

Eric’s entire working career has been focused on healthcare communications, public relations, marketing and business development. He and his wife also owned a small retail business in Watertown. He presently works for Post University.

He is an active member of the Watertown Republican Town Committee. In 2013, he was elected by the delegates of the 10 towns in the 32nd Senatorial District to represent the district as a member of the Republican State Central Committee (SCC).

In 2013, State Senator Rob Kane (R-32) appointed Eric to the Council on Medical Assistance Program Oversight, Connecticut General Assembly.

Eric served for two terms on the Board of Directors of the Hartford Healthcare Federal Credit Union and as the Board Treasurer.

From 2016 to 2018, he served as the Unit Commander for the Brass City Unit of the Young Marines Youth Organization. He has also been a member of the Board of Directors of the Water-Oak Crimestoppers since 2018.

In 2018, the Waterbury Regional Chamber presented Eric with its Legislator of the Year award in honor of his pro-business advocacy at the State Capitol. In 2022, the Credit Union League of Connecticut also presented him with its Legislator of the Year award in recognition of his many years of support of Connecticut credit unions.

Eric’s advocacy for Connecticut business was also recognized by the Connecticut Business & Industry Association in 2022 when it recognized him for a 100 percent pro-business voting record in its 2022 Legislative Session Report.

In addition, in 2022 Eric was selected to the distinguished Council of State Governments Henry Toll Fellowship Program as a Henry Toll Fellow. He was one of only 48 state government officials across the U.S. to participate in the program, which is the premier leadership development program for state leaders.

Along with this legislative leadership, Eric was named as the state chair of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) in 2022.