Sean Casten

Sean Casten was born on November 23, 1971, in Dublin, Ireland, to American parents and raised in Hartsdale, New York. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in molecular biology and biochemistry from Middlebury College in 1993, followed by a Master of Science in biochemical engineering and a Master of Engineering Management from Dartmouth College in 1998. Before entering politics, he worked as a research scientist at the Tufts University School of Medicine and later as a clean-energy consultant at Arthur D. Little. Casten's business career focused primarily on the energy sector. He served as the president and CEO of Turbosteam Corporation, a company specializing in energy recycling, and later co-founded Recycled Energy Development (RED) in 2007. His work in the private sector involved developing market-based solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency. He was also a founding chairman of the Northeast Combined Heat and Power Initiative and contributed to the development of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. A member of the Democratic Party, Casten was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018, representing Illinois' 6th District. In Congress, he serves on the House Financial Services Committee, the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, and the Joint Economic Committee. He is a prominent advocate for climate action, having co-authored the Inflation Reduction Act and served as a Vice Chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition.

Sean Casten focuses heavily on environmental policy, advocating for market-based solutions to combat climate change and transitioning to clean energy. He has introduced legislation such as the Climate Risk Disclosure Act to require public companies to disclose financial risks related to climate change. On healthcare, he supports the Affordable Care Act, lower prescription drug costs, and protecting reproductive rights. Regarding the economy, he supports raising the minimum wage, strengthening labor unions through the PRO Act, and investing in infrastructure and domestic manufacturing via the CHIPS and Science Act. His immigration policy emphasizes comprehensive reform, including pathways to citizenship for DACA recipients and opposition to mass deportation policies.