Republican state Rep. Devin Carney is running for reelection for a fifth, two-year term.

He represents the 23rd District, which includes Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook and Westbrook, and was first elected to the state legislature in 2014. A news release he sent out this week painted him as a bipartisan, if not centrist, candidate. Unaffiliated voters outnumber both Democrats and Republicans in the district.

“I’ve always worked hard to put the people of the 23rd District first — above special interests and party interests,” Carney said in the release. “To me, this is my responsibility as Representative. I am always honored to go to Hartford to be the voice of Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, and Westbrook; and I take that job extremely seriously, especially at a time of uncertainty and concern in government.”

Carney, 37, always has lived in the 23rd District — he grew up in Old Saybrook and now lives in Old Lyme. He has bachelor's degrees in political science and American studies from Brandeis University and works in finance. He is the ranking House member of the legislature's Transportation Committee, and serves on the Finance, Revenue and Bonding and Education committees.

“As long as I am State Representative, I will fight government overreach, forced regionalization, or any measures that will weaken the quality of our local schools,” Carney said in the news release. “Connecticut continues to remain unaffordable for many, and I will always oppose higher taxes on our seniors, families, and businesses. As Connecticut continues to come out of the fog of the (coronavirus) pandemic, it is essential that government works to give people a break and not to expand its size and scope even further.”

He also highlighted his environmentalist policymaking, noting he recently was named a board member of the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators, a nonpartisan network of state legislators that focuses on conservation and related issues.

s.spinella@theday.com