Sean Casten facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sean Casten
Official portrait, 2020
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 6th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2019
Preceded by	Peter Roskam
Personal details
Born	Sean Thomas Casten (1971-11-23) November 23, 1971 (age 53) Dublin, Ireland
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Kara ​ (m. 2000)​
Children	2 (1 deceased)
Relatives	Tom Casten (father)
Education	Middlebury College (BA) Dartmouth College (MS, MEng)
Signature
Website

Sean Thomas Casten (born November 23, 1971) is an American politician and businessman. He serves as a U.S. representative for the 6th district of Illinois. This district covers parts of southwestern Chicago and many nearby suburbs. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

In 2022, the district boundaries changed. This meant Casten ran against another Democrat, Marie Newman, in the primary election. Casten won this election on June 28, 2022. He then won the main election on November 8, 2022, against Keith Pekau, the mayor of Orland Park.

Early Life and School

Sean Casten was born in Dublin, Ireland. His parents, Judy and Tom Casten, were American. He grew up in Hartsdale, New York.

In 1993, he earned a degree in molecular biology and biochemistry from Middlebury College. After college, he worked as a scientist for two years. In 1998, he earned two master's degrees from Dartmouth College. These degrees were in engineering management and biochemical engineering.

Business Career

Casten started his career at a company called Arthur D. Little. He studied how fuel chains worked for their chemical engineering team. From 2000 to 2007, he was the head of Turbosteam Corporation. This company turned power plant emissions into energy.

In 2007, Casten and his father, Tom Casten, started Recycled Energy Development (RED). RED focused on reusing wasted energy. They also worked on making energy facilities cleaner and more cost-effective. Casten sold the company in 2016.

Casten helped create the Northeast CHP Initiative. He also helped write the bill for the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). This program uses market forces to lower greenhouse gas emissions in the northeastern United States.

Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives

Becoming a Representative

2018 Election

Casten announced he would run for the United States House of Representatives in September 2017. He won the Democratic primary election in 2018. He then ran against Peter Roskam, a Republican who had been in office for six terms.

On November 6, 2018, Casten won the election. He defeated Roskam by a good margin. This election was important for Democrats. They wanted to win back control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

2020 Election

Casten was reelected in 2020. He won against Jeanne Ives, a former state legislator.

2022 Election

After the 2020 census, the boundaries of the 6th district changed. The district became smaller and moved more into Cook and DuPage counties. This new district included a large part of the old 3rd district. That district was represented by fellow Democrat Marie Newman.

Even though the district was mostly new to him, Casten won the Democratic nomination. In the general election, he defeated Keith Pekau, the mayor of Orland Park.

What He Does in Congress

As of 2023, Casten often voted in agreement with President Joe Biden.

Working on Climate Change and Energy

Casten says his main focus in Congress is energy policy and climate change. He is part of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. He believes that people who understand energy and those who understand environmental science need to work together.

Casten has introduced several bills about energy. These include the Climate Risk Disclosure Act and the End Oil and Gas Subsidies Act. He also proposed the Clean Industrial Technology Act of 2019. This bill would have encouraged new ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from factories.

Focus on FERC

Casten has worked to make the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) more visible. FERC is a federal agency that regulates the energy sector. Casten wants to use FERC to help the country switch to cleaner energy.

Reparations Discussions

Casten supports the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act. This bill would help history books teach more about African American struggles. It would also set up a commission to study reparations for people whose ancestors were enslaved.

Voting Rights

Casten voted to lower the voting age to 16. This was part of an amendment to a bill called H.R. 1, the Voting Rights Act.

Syria Policy

In 2023, Casten voted against a resolution that would have required President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria.

Making Government More Fair

In the 118th Congress, Casten supported bills to make the U.S. government more representative.

• The Equal Voices Act would add more representatives to the House. This would make sure each district has about the same number of people as the smallest state.
• The Senate Reform amendment would add new senators chosen by all voters. It would also add presidential electors based on the national popular vote.
• The Restoring Judicial Separation of Powers Act would change how federal courts work. This would make it harder for one political party to control the courts.

Israel Policy

Casten voted for a resolution supporting Israel after the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. In March 2024, he also spoke out about how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu handled Palestinian lives.

2024 Presidential Election

On July 19, 2024, Casten asked President Joe Biden to step down from the 2024 United States presidential election.

His Committee Work

For the 119th Congress, Sean Casten is on these committees:

• Committee on Financial Services
  • Subcommittee on Capital Markets
  • Subcommittee on Financial Institutions
  • Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions
• Joint Economic Committee

Groups He Belongs To

Casten is a member of several groups in Congress:

• Black Maternal Health Caucus
• New Democrat Coalition
• Congressional Freethought Caucus
• Sustainable Investment Caucus (co-chair)
• New Democrat Coalition's Climate Change Task Force (Vice-Chair)
• Rare Disease Caucus
• Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (Vice-Chair)

Personal Life

Sean Casten and his wife, Kara, live in Downers Grove, Illinois. They have two children. In June 2022, their daughter Gwen passed away at age 17.

Electoral History