Ronald A. Sarasin

Born in Fall River, Massachusetts, Sarasin attended Center Elementary School in Beacon Falls, Connecticut, and graduated from Naugatuck (Connecticut) High School in 1952. He served in the United States Navy from 1952 to 1956 and attained the rank of petty officer, second class. He earned his B.S. from the University of Connecticut in 1960 and J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1963. He was admitted to the Connecticut Bar later that year. He served as the town counsel for Beacon Falls, Connecticut from 1963 to 1972 and an assistant professor of law at New Haven College, New Haven, Connecticut from 1963 to 1966.

Sarasin during his first term in Congress.

He was first elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1968 and became the assistant minority leader in 1970. In 1972, he ran for Congress from the 5th district against John Monagan, a seven-term veteran of the House. Redistricting added several Republican areas to the 5th in 1972 and George McGovern’s poor showing in the 1972 presidential election was hurting Democrats in down-ballot races.[9] Sarasin defeated Monagan narrowly.

In 1974, he ran for re-election against State Representative William R. Ratchford, the speaker of the Connecticut State House. Sarasin prevailed amidst the wave of Republican losses to the Watergate babies.[10][11] Ratchford would eventually win election to Congress after Sarasin vacated the seat to run for governor.[12]

He served as a delegate to the Connecticut State Republican conventions in 1968, 1970, 1972, and 1974 and to the Republican National Convention in 1976.

In 1978, Sarasin secured the Republican nomination for Governor of Connecticut with Lewis Rome as his running mate.[13] His opponent was the incumbent, Ella Grasso, the first woman to be elected governor in her own right.[14] Sarasin attacked Grasso on taxes, promising to reduce taxes and cut welfare spending. On Election Day, Grasso won a second term in office with a convincing victory[15]

Presentation of the U.S. Capitol Historical Society 2014 Ornament by the Ronald A. Sarasin, President, U.S. Capitol Historical Society, to Architect of the Capitol Stephen T. Ayers, FAIA, LEED AP.

After leaving office, he was the chief lobbyist for the National Restaurant Association and president of the National Beer Wholesalers Association.[16]

He served as president of the U.S. Capitol Historical Society from 2000 to 2019. He is credited with establishing a traveling exhibit on the role played by enslaved people in the building of the Capitol, as well as the initiation of the organization’s popular civics education program.[17]

Sarasin was married to Marjorie Grazio Sarasin and has one son with her, Michael. He and his wife divorced in 1977.[18] He was the first divorced candidate to run for governor.[13]

In 1988, he married his second wife, Leslie Garmon Sarasin. They were married nearly 34 years, and have one son together, Douglas. [19]

His brother Warren Sarasin, was also a politician who served in the Connecticut House of Representatives. He was first elected in 1978, the year his brother was defeated for governor.[20]

Sarasin died on March 27, 2023, at the age of 88.[21]

• United States Congress. "Ronald A. Sarasin (id: S000062)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Appearances on C-SPAN

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.