Derek Slap (born c. 1974) is an American politician, journalist, and businessman. He was a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from 2017 to 2019, serving District 19. In 2019, Slap won a special election, and has since sat in the Connecticut State Senate from District 5.

Education

Slap earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and international relations at

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...

, followed by a master's of business administration at the University of Connecticut School of Business.

Career

Between 1998 and 2003, he was a news anchor and reporter at WVIT. He then served as a chief of staff for Democratic Party-affiliated members of the Connecticut Senate, as well as communications director for

John DeStefano Jr. John DeStefano Jr. (born May 11, 1955) is an American politician who served as the 49th mayor of New Haven, Connecticut, from 1994 until 2014. He was the Democratic nominee in 2006 for Governor of Connecticut, unsuccessfully challenging incum ...

In 2014, Slap joined the UConn Foundation as vice president of external relations.

Connecticut Legislature

In May 2016, Slap was nominated by the Democratic Party as its candidate for Connecticut House of Representatives District 19, after sitting legislator

Brian Becker Brian Becker is an American politician who was a Democratic member of the Connecticut House of Representatives, where he represented the 19th Assembly District, which consists of portions of West Hartford, Avon, and Farmington. A graduate of ...

announced his retirement. Slap faced

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

candidate Chris Barnes in the general election. Slap retained his seat in the state house in November 2018, running unopposed. Following

Beth Bye Elizabeth Bye is an American politician from Connecticut. A Democrat, she is the commissioner of the state's Office of Early Childhood. She served as a member of the Connecticut State Senate from 2011 to 2019, representing the 5th district, which ...

's appointment to Ned Lamont's gubernatorial administration, Slap ran for her District 5 seat in the Connecticut Senate. Slap faced

Bill Wadsworth Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Pla ...

, Jeffrey Przech, and Mark Stewart Greenstein in the special election. Slap was sworn in as a state senator on March 1, 2019. Within the Connecticut Senate, Slap became the deputy majority leader. The Democratic Party endorsed Slap's 2020 bid for re-election to the state senate. Slap defeated Republican Challenger Phillip Chabot in the general election on November 3, 2020.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Slap, Derek Year of birth missing (living people) Living people University of Connecticut alumni Syracuse University alumni 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American politicians Democratic Party members of the Connecticut House of Representatives Democratic Party Connecticut state senators American male journalists 21st-century American journalists Journalists from Connecticut 1970s births American television news anchors Political chiefs of staff