Chris Shea

Chris Shea is the Republican nominee for Connecticut's 5th Congressional District, having won a contested primary.[1] A Watertown native, he is a retired U.S. Navy special operations veteran who has also worked as a firefighter and paramedic and founded a nonprofit that helps veterans move into first-responder careers.[1][2]

Shea is a Watertown native who grew up in the town, according to his campaign website.[2] He earned a Bachelor of Science from Charter Oak State College and was commissioned a Navy Warrant Officer in 2012.[2] His Navy career began in 1991 as a hospital corpsman, and he completed Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) and Special Forces Medic training; he served with SEAL Team 8, SEAL Team 18, Naval Special Warfare Group Two, the Naval Special Warfare Development Group and Special Operations Command North, and at the Pentagon.[2]

His campaign website says he deployed to Afghanistan, took part in a 1997 special operations mission in the former Yugoslavia, and from 2014 to 2016 served in Mexico, including at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, training Mexican special operations forces.[2] Shea retired from the Navy in January 2024.[2]

Shea has been a firefighter since 2009 and is a lieutenant with the North Haven Fire Department, according to his campaign website.[2] He founded and is president of Hero to Hero, Inc., a nonprofit that helps special operations veterans and other service members move into first-responder careers, and he previously owned a handyman business with six employees.[2]

Shea won the August 11, 2026 Republican primary over Jonathan De Barros, 81.0% to 19.0%.[1] According to his campaign website, he lives in Cheshire with his wife, Anita, and they raised their daughter, Sophia, in Watertown.[2]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.