Christopher Coutu
Christopher Coutu is a former Republican member of the Connecticut House of Representatives, representing District 47 from 2009 to 2013.
Coutu was a 2012 Republican candidate who sought election to the U.S. House to represent the 2nd Congressional District of Connecticut. Coutu also ran in the 2012 election for Connecticut State Senate District 19.
Biography
Coutu earned his B.S. from Eastern Connecticut State University and his M.S. from the University of Hartford in 2003. His professional experience includes working as a financial adviser/tax professional for Tarklin Financial, civilian personnel management services for the Department of Defense, and base education manager/craftsman education and training manager with the Connecticut Air National Guard. He served in the Connecticut National Guard.
He is a volunteer with Bully Busters of Disabled American Veterans, American Legion Post 104, Veterans of Foreign Wars, founder of AmericanWarrior.org, and a volunteer firefighter with the Taftville Volunteer Fire Department.[1]
Committee assignments
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Coutu served on these committees:
- Commerce Committee, Connecticut General Assembly
- Insurance and Real Estate Committee, Connecticut General Assembly, Ranking Member
- Select Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Connecticut General Assembly
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Coutu served on these committees:
- Commerce Committee, Connecticut General Assembly
- Finance, Revenue, and Bonding
- Human Services
- Judiciary
- Select Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Issues
State elections panel investigation
The state Elections Enforcement Commission investigated whether Coutu improperly used money from his aborted congressional campaign for his state senate race and failed to keep proper expense records.[2] Among the allegations were that the Coutu for Senate campaign wrongfully took a contribution from the congressional campaign by accepting lawn signs valued at more than $2,300 and failed to report certain expenses and reimbursements.[3]
Presidential preference
2012
Christopher Coutu endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election.[4]
Elections
2012
Coutu ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House to represent Connecticut's 2nd District. Coutu sought the nomination on the Republican ticket.[5] Coutu decided to run for Connecticut State Senate in 2012.
- See also: Connecticut State Senate elections, 2012
Coutu ran in the 2012 election for Connecticut State Senate District 19. Coutu ran unopposed in the Republican primary on August 14, 2012. He was defeated by Catherine Osten (D) in the general election on November 6, 2012.[6][7][8]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Catherine A. Osten |
51.6% | 19,882 | |
| Republican | Christopher Coutu | 48.4% | 18,679 | |
| Total Votes | 38,561 | |||
2010
Coutu ran for re-election to the 47th District seat in 2010. He defeated Catherine A. Osten (D) in the November 2 general election.
| Connecticut House of Representatives, District 47 General Election (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Christopher Coutu (R)
|
4,362 | |||
| Catherine A. Osten (D) | 3,025 | |||
2008
On November 4, 2008, Coutu won election to the Connecticut House of Representatives from Connecticut's 47th District, defeating Jack Malone (D). Coutu received 5,439 votes in the election while Malone received 4,605 votes.[9] Coutu raised $30,191 for his campaign; Malone raised $32,733.[10]
| Connecticut House of Representatives, District 47 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Christopher Coutu (R)
|
5,439 | |||
| Jack Malone (D) | 4,605 | |||
Campaign finance summary
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Scorecards
Yankee Institute's Voter Guide
- See also: Yankee Institute's Voter Guide (2012)
The Yankee Institute, a pro-market think tank, releases its Voter Guide after each two-year legislative term. Each member of the Connecticut General Assembly receives a score from 0 to 10 based on how he or she voted in ten key votes. The Institute selects key votes which "reveal the differences between those legislators that would harness the power of individual liberty and the market to improve lives, and those that prefer a centrally-planned approach." A legislator with a 10 voted in agreement with the Yankee Institute on all 10 votes, while a legislator with a 0 voted against the Yankee Institute's views or was absent for all 10 votes.[11]
2012
Coutu received a score of 9 on the Yankee Institute's Voter Guide for 2011-12, tied for the highest score among the 152 scored members of the Connecticut House of Representatives. This score was 1 higher than his score of 8 for the 2009-10 term.[11]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Coutu and his wife, Neringa, have one daughter.
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term Christopher + Coutu + Connecticut + House
See also
- Connecticut State Legislature
- Connecticut House of Representatives
- Connecticut House Committees
- Connecticut state legislative districts
External links
- Chris Coutu's campaign website
- Legislative Profile from Project Vote Smart
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Campaign Contributions: 2010, 2008
- Christopher Coutu on LinkedIn
Footnotes
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Biography," accessed December 12, 2014
- ↑ WTNH "State elections panel probes state Senate campaign" accessed October 26, 2012
- ↑ Connecticut Post, "State elections panel probes state Senate campaign" accessed October 26, 2012
- ↑ Mitt Romney for President, "Mitt Romney Announces Connecticut Campaign Team," September 29, 2011
- ↑ Capitol Watch, "Chris Coutu makes it official: He's running for Congress in CT-2" accessed February 13, 2012
- ↑ Connecticut Secretary of State, "Candidate List," accessed June 18, 2012
- ↑ Connecticut Secretary of State, "Official Primary Results for 2012," August 14, 2012
- ↑ Connecticut Secretary of State, "Election Results 2012" accessed November 17, 2012
- ↑ Connecticut Secretary of State, "CT House official election results for 2008," November 5, 2008
- ↑ Follow the Money, "2008 Contributions," accessed December 12, 2014
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Yankee Institute for Public Policy, "Yankee Institute Voter Guide for 2011-12," October 19, 2012
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by ' |
Connecticut State House District 47 2009–2013 |
Succeeded by Brian H. Sear (D) |
