Kara Elise Rochelle (born March 29, 1983) is an American politician who is a member of the
Connecticut House of Representatives
The Connecticut State House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an ...
from the 104th district in
New Haven County
New Haven County is a county in the south central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of the 2020 census, the population was 864,835, making it the third-most populous county in Connecticut. Two of the state's top 5 largest cities, New ...
. She is the Vice Chair of the Housing Committee, and serves as a member to the Higher Education and Employment Advancement and Commerce Committees.
In her youth, Kara has devoted countless volunteer hours to the Valley United Way Youth Leadership Program and continues to dedicate time to various community service projects including the Derby Elks and the Naugatuck Valley Young Democrats, which she founded to reinvigorate and reform the party by returning it to its working-class roots.
Kara's professional experience and upbringing have given her a strong commitment to helping people who work hard to pay the bills and raise their children. Her father Al Rochelle, a retired line worker at Sikorsky Aircraft, has dedicated nearly 50 years to the volunteer fire service and currently serves as chief. Her late mother, Diane, was a loving parent and small business owner who instilled in her kids, through her daycare, a passion for child development and education.
Rochelle graduated from Fordham University and lives in Ansonia.
Political career
2018 Election
Rochelle was elected in the
general election
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
on November 6, 2018, winning 57 percent of the vote over 43 percent of
Republican candidate Joseph Jaumann.
2020 Election
Rochelle was re-elected in the
general election
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
on November 3, 2020, winning 60 percent of the vote over 40 percent of
Republican candidate Myra Rivers.
2022 Election
Rochelle was re-elected in the
general election
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
on November 8, 2022, winning 53 percent of the vote over 47 percent of
Republican candidate Josh Shuart.
References
Democratic Party members of the Connecticut House of Representatives
Living people
21st-century American legislators
21st-century American women politicians
Women state legislators in Connecticut
Fordham University alumni
People from Ansonia, Connecticut
1983 births
21st-century Connecticut politicians
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