Former WWE Ring Girl Elected To Leadership Post In State Legislature
Rep. Themis Klarides is the new minority leader of the Connecticut House of Representatives, the top Republican in that chamber.
Her diverse background includes time as a Monday Night Raw ring girl in the WWE as well as working as a fitness and swimsuit model.
Beginning her ninth term representing the 114th House District in the state’s general assembly and with an active presence on social media, Klarides, 49, is described as a fiscal conservative and a moderate on social issues and who is as strong advocate for victim’s rights. She is the granddaughter of an immigrant from Greece and from a prominent family in the Seymour, Connecticut, area.
Upon her unanimous election as GOP leader in the state House, Klarides commented that “The reality is, particularly for a Republican, we have to hear about this war on women that I don’t think exists, and I think that is put to rest with women being elected to leadership positions.”
The new legislative session in Connecticut begins on January 7, 2015.
Republicans picked up 10 seats in Democrat-controlled state house, mostly at the expense of Democrats who voted had for additional gun control measures after the Sandy Hook shooting massacre. One of the GOP newcomers is Aundre Bumgardner, 20, who is said to be of Puerto Rican, African-American, and Panamanian heritage, and, along with Saira Blair, is among one of the youngest state lawmakers in the country.
Klarides was in the WWE after attending law school at Quinnipiac University and described the pro wrestling experience as fun. “She also took a job as a ‘card girl’ for the entertainment conglomerate now known as WWE, displaying posters announcing the rounds and other messages designed to energize the crowd during Monday Night Raw. Klarides was studying for the bar exam at the time. During breaks between the matches, she would head back stage and open up her law review books,” the Hartford Courant reported.
In her first run for statewide office, her opponent tried to make a big deal of her WWE (then WWF) affiliation, even claiming she was a professional wrestler and also a nude model. Klarides won anyway, although she considered dropping out at one point because of these falsehoods. The state rep. clams her modeling and WWE work assisted her in overcoming an introverted nature.
“It helped me become more confident in public.”
Linda McMahon, Vince McMahon’s wife, ran twice for U.S. Senate from Connecticut for the GOP but fell short both times.
Commenting on the administration of Democratic Governor Dan Malloy in Connecticut, Klarides explained that “What we’ve seen, year after year [is] too much spending and too much borrowing and not being responsible to the people of the state.”
[image credit: Facebook]
