Listening to our fellow citizens and responding to their concerns with common sense solutions to protect individual freedoms and provide a better quality of life for all of Connecticut.

		Richard O. Belden (Dick) Deputy Republican Leader-at-Large 14 Keron Drive, Shelton 06484 Residence: 203-924-1757 Capitol: 1-800-842-1423
		Connecticut mourns the sudden loss of Richard Belden on August 20. Please click the photo to visit a memorial to his life of service.

Education:  Shelton High School

Occupation:  Retired (38 years Sikorsky Aircraft Management)

Public Service:  Member of the Shelton Republican Town Committee 1964-present; member of the Shelton Board of Apportionment and Taxation 1967-1971; alderman in Shelton 1972-1973; Corporator of Griffin Hospital, Parent Child Resource Center; the Birmingham Group and the Lower Naugatuck Valley Boys and Girls Club; former long time corporator of Hewitt Memorial hospital; Co-Chairman of the Valley Substance Abuse Council Incorporated; member of the advisory board at the Emmett O'Brien Regional Vocational-Technical School; director of the Connecticut Resource Recovery Authority 1985-2001; chairman at the Connecticut Institute of Municipal Studies 1996-2002, US Air Force 1955-61; Member of American Legion Post 16. Former member of the State Bond Commission. 

Legislative Service: 1975-Present; State House of Representatives 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983 (Assistant Minority Leader), 1985 (Deputy Speaker), 1987-1993 (Deputy Minority Leader At Large), 1993-Present (Deputy Minority Leader At Large); Currently Dean of the House. (Longest continuous serving member in history)

Committees: Finance, Revenue and Bond, Labor and Public Employees, Legislative Management

Deputy House Minority Leader-at-Large Richard O. Belden of Shelton was first elected to the House of Representatives from the 113th Assembly District in 1974. He was re-elected every two years since and was the longest continuously serving member of the House of Representatives in the history of the House (Dean of the House).[Full Biography] (PDF/13kb)