Danté Bartolomeo

Danté Bartolomeo
Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Labor
Incumbent
Assumed office
1 July 2021
GovernorNed Lamont
Preceded byKurt Westby
Member of the Connecticut Senate
from the 13th district
In office
5 January 2013 – 3 January 2017
Preceded byLen Suzio
Succeeded byLen Suzio
Member of the Meriden City Council
In office
July 2008 – December 2012
Preceded byMichael Rohde
Succeeded byLarue A. Graham
ConstituencyArea 2
Personal details
Born
Danté Jean Craig Self

1969 (age 55–56)
Meriden, Connecticut, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseDoug
Children2
Alma materColby College (BA)

Danté Jean Craig Bartolomeo (born 1969) is an American politician. A Democrat, Bartolomeo was a member of the Connecticut Senate from 2013 to 2017, representing the 13th district. Prior to this, she was a member of the Meriden City Council from 2008 to 2012.

After leaving office, she was appointed to serve as deputy commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Labor in 2019. She was promoted to the position of commissioner in July 2021, and was formally confirmed in February 2022.

Early life and education

Bartolomeo was born on 1969. Her father, Craig Self, was a Republican who served as town chairman of Wallingford, Connecticut. Bartolomeo attributed her political positioning as a fiscal moderate to his influence, and her mother, Barbara Calza Self, for her views on social liberalism.[1][2] Bartolomeo has a sister, Elizabeth Mercedes Craig Self.[1]

Bartolomeo is a 1987 graduate of Mercy High School in Middletown and earned her bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Colby College in 1991 with a cum laude distinction.[3]

Political career

Bartolomeo was a member of the Meriden City Council from July 2008 to December 2012.[3] She succeeded Michael Rohde as representative of Area 2, after Rohde had been elected mayor.[4]

State Senate

During her first state legislative campaign against incumbent state representative Len Suzio in 2012, Bartolomeo claimed that his supporters were using push polls to gain an advantage.[5]

Suzio's win in a 2011 special election was considered a "fluke", due in part to the fact that Suzio's predecessor Thomas Gaffey had violated electoral law.[6] Bartolomeo defeated Suzio, and took office as a Democratic legislator representing the thirteenth district of the Connecticut Senate.[7] She faced Suzio for a second time in 2014, and won reelection.[8]

Bartolomeo's 2016 campaign was unsuccessful,[3][9] and Suzio, backed by the Connecticut Business and Industry Association,[10][11] returned to office.

Connecticut Department of Labor

In January 2019, Ned Lamont appointed Bartolomeo deputy commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Labor.[4] After Kurt Westby announced his intention to retire, Lamont promoted Bartolomeo in June 2021.[12] The Connecticut Senate confirmed Bartolomeo to the position in February 2022.[13] As commissioner, she was chosen by Lamont alongside other agency heads to work on an initiative to tackle homelessness in Connecticut.[14]

Personal life

She and her husband Doug Bartolomeo, a retired police officer, have two children.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b "Craig Self, Wallingford farmer, GOP chairman, remembered as devoted friend, family man". Record-Journal. Meriden, Connecticut. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  2. ^ "R. Craig Self Jr". Record Journal. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2022. Republished by The New Haven Register
  3. ^ a b c d "Republican Len Suzio hopes to unseat Sen. Danté Bartolomeo in 13th District". Middletown Press. 13 October 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  4. ^ a b Godin, Mary Ellen (28 January 2019). "Former Meriden state senator, Wallingford native named to deputy labor post". Record-Journal. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  5. ^ Salemi, Jim (23 October 2012). "Bartolomeo levels charges at Suzio; he denies". New Haven Register. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  6. ^ Fenster, Jordan (15 October 2012). "Connecticut Republicans set sights on key districts in state Senate race". Connecticut Insider. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  7. ^ DeMattteo, Ann (6 November 2012). "Bartolomeo reflects on 13th Senatorial District win". Middletown Press. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  8. ^ "Bartolomeo fends off Suzio in 13th by good margin". Middletown Press. 5 November 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  9. ^ "Len Suzio reclaims 13th Senate District seat from Dante Bartolomeo". Middletown Press. 8 November 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  10. ^ Pazniokas, Mark (3 August 2016). "CBIA targets swing districts, tries to tilt CT Senate to GOP". Connecticut Mirror. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  11. ^ Constable, Kyle (15 August 2016). "Control of the CT Senate at stake in battleground districts". Connecticut Mirror. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  12. ^ Pazniokas, Mark (17 June 2021). "Danté Bartolomeo to succeed Kurt Westby at CT Department of Labor". Connecticut Mirror. Retrieved 2 May 2022. Republished as: Pazniokas, Mark (17 June 2021). "Danté Bartolomeo of Meriden tapped for state labor commissioner". Record-Journal. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  13. ^ "Senate resolution 5: resolution confirming the nomination of Danté J. C. Bartolomeo of Meriden to be labor commissioner" (PDF). Connecticut Senate. February 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  14. ^ Ingram, Molly (12 January 2024). "Lamont introduces new council to address homelessness in CT". WSHU. Retrieved 13 September 2024.