In the 2nd District, It's Courtney Vs. France For A U.S. House Seat

CONNECTICUT — The November election will feature a showdown between longtime Democratic incumbent Joe Courtney and Republican Challenger Mike France for Connecticut's 2nd District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Courtney, 71, hails from Vernon and France, 61, calls Ledyard his home.

Here is a brief look at the candidates:

Courtney

Joe Courtney was elected in 2006 to Connecticut's 2nd District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He currently serves as the second-highest ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, and as a senior member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee.

Two decades earlier, Courtney had his first taste of public service when, in 1986, Vernon Democrats sought a candidate for the 56th State House seat in Connecticut. He won, and, as state representative, Courtney served as chairman of the House Public Health and Human Services Committees, along with chair of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Insurance, where he pushed reforms that resulted in "increased access and better health care for all Connecticut citizens."

In 1998, Courtney ran for lieutenant governor and lost on the ticket with Barbara Kennelly, but was elected to Congress four years later.

Courtney has been touting two recent Congressional accomplishments.

One is helping to secure federal funding for a state indemnity company to assist homeowners ravaged by the crumbling foundation crisis in the district.

The other is submarine building. This month, he announced that The Navy released $376,788,600 to Electric Boat to advance the Virginia class submarine program. As then-Chairman and now Ranking Member of the Seapower Subcommittee, Courtney said he authorized the funding through the FY21 through FY24 National Defense Authorization Acts.

His campaign says this about his family life in Vernon: "The title Joe holds most dear, however, is that of husband to his wife, Audrey, a pediatric nurse practitioner, and father to his children, Robert and Elizabeth. When he’s not traveling across eastern Connecticut or golfing, Joe can most often be found at home with his family, reading or watching the UConn Huskies and the Boston Red Sox."

France

Mike France is son of a career Naval officer and Mike resided in several locations before settling in Southern California in 1971. After graduating from Herbert Hoover High School in San Diego, he enlisted in the Navy in 1981 and served as an Interior Communications Electrician in USS GUITARRO (SSN 665), completing one Western Pacific and Indian Ocean deployment.

After being awarded an ROTC scholarship, France earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering in 1987 from the University of Southern California.

He then served as the Damage Control Assistant on the USS MARS (AFS 1) and the Combat System Officer/Navigator on the USS REEVES (CG 24), completing three Indian Ocean/Persian Gulf deployments in support of Operation Desert Storm and Operation Southern Watch.

In November 2011, he was elected to the Ledyard Town Council and assigned to serve as the chairman of the Finance Committee. During his tenure, he also served as the Town Council Liaison to the Permanent Municipal Building Committee, Historic District Commission, Conservation Commission and Pension Board.

France served four terms as state representative in the 42nd District, which includes most of Ledyard, all of Preston and a portion of the Uncasville and Oakdale sections of Montville. He served as the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee and ranking member of the General Administration and Elections Committee.

He also served as Chairman of the Connecticut General Assembly Conservative Caucus from 2019 to 2023.

Following retirement from the Navy, France worked as a senior systems engineer for a local defense contractor. In August 2005, he earned a Master of Science degree in Organizational Management from Eastern Connecticut State University.

He was promoted to engineering manager in 2008 and served as the Joint Interoperability certification lead for Program Executive Officer, Submarines through 2018.

He currently serves as the Joint Interoperability lead for the VIRGINIA (SSN 774) Class Submarine program and also supports the Integrated Combat System Test and Evaluation Team.

France lives in the Gales Ferry village of Ledyard with his wife, Heather. They have six children: Brandon, Annemarie, Laurel, Marguerite, Brittney and Frederick; and seven grandchildren. His interests include tennis, golf and genealogy.