Sean Casten Bio
Sean Thomas Casten (born November 23, 1971) is an American businessman and Democratic politician who serves as the United States representative for Illinois’s 6th congressional district. The district covers southwestern Chicago and inner southwestern suburbs, including Downers Grove, Wheaton, Lisle, Orland Park, and Western Springs. Before entering politics, Casten co-founded and led companies focused on energy efficiency and waste-heat recovery, building a career that informed his later work in Congress.
Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018, Casten has become a leading voice on energy policy and climate change. He serves on the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis and is known for introducing legislation related to clean energy, emissions reduction, and corporate climate disclosure. He lives in Downers Grove, Illinois, with his wife, Kara.
Early Life and Background
Sean Thomas Casten was born on November 23, 1971, in Dublin, Ireland, to American parents Judy and Tom Casten. He was raised in Hartsdale, New York, where he spent his formative years before pursuing higher education. His father, Tom Casten, would later become a business partner when the two co-founded Recycled Energy Development.
Casten earned a Bachelor of Arts in molecular biology and biochemistry from Middlebury College in 1993. After completing his undergraduate studies, he worked for two years as a scientist at the Tufts University School of Medicine, gaining hands-on experience in biomedical research. He then continued his education at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, where he earned a Master of Engineering Management and a Master of Science in biochemical engineering in 1998.
Path to US Politics
Before running for office, Casten built a career in the private sector focused on clean energy and industrial efficiency. He began his career at the consultancy Arthur D. Little, where he conducted fuel chain analyses for the firm’s chemical engineering group. From 2000 to 2007, he served as president and chief executive officer of Turbosteam Corporation, a company that converted emissions from power plants into usable energy.
In 2007, Casten and his father, Tom Casten, founded Recycled Energy Development (RED), which focused on recycling wasted energy and converting energy facilities to cleaner, more economic uses. Casten also served as a founding chairman of the Northeast CHP Initiative and participated in crafting the bill that became the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). These experiences in energy policy and business shaped his approach to climate issues when he entered Congress.
Casten announced his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives in Illinois’s 6th congressional district in September 2017. He defeated six other contenders in the 2018 Democratic primary to become the party’s nominee against six-term incumbent Republican Peter Roskam.
Sean Casten Career
Early Career (2000–2016)
Casten’s early professional career centered on energy efficiency and clean technology. As president and CEO of Turbosteam Corporation from 2000 to 2007, he led efforts to capture and reuse emissions from power plants, helping position the company as a player in the waste-heat recovery sector. He later co-founded Recycled Energy Development with his father in 2007, growing the company into a notable venture in the clean energy space.
In 2015, an investor in RED sued the company, alleging mismanagement by Casten. Casten settled the lawsuit and sold the company in 2016, stating that the allegations against him were untrue and were part of a hostile takeover attempt. Despite the legal dispute, his reputation as an energy entrepreneur helped him transition into public service.
Congressional Breakthrough (2018–2020)
On November 6, 2018, Casten won the general election, defeating incumbent Republican Peter Roskam by a margin of seven points. The race was viewed as one that Democrats needed to win in order to regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time since the 2010 elections. Illinois’s 6th congressional district had supported Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton by about seven percentage points in the 2016 presidential election, and Casten’s victory contributed to a wave of Democratic gains.
Casten was reelected in 2020, defeating former state legislator and gubernatorial primary candidate Jeanne Ives by seven points. During his first two terms, he represented a district covering parts of five counties in Chicago’s western suburbs, including Wheaton, Palatine, and Barrington. In Congress, he quickly established himself as a vocal advocate for climate and energy reform.
Redistricting and Reelection (2022–Present)
Redistricting after the 2020 census significantly reshaped Illinois’s 6th congressional district, making it more compact and pushing it further into Cook County. As a result, Casten and fellow Democrat Marie Newman competed to represent the same district in the 2022 Democratic primary. Casten defeated Newman in the primary election on June 28, 2022, and went on to defeat Republican nominee and Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau by eight points in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Since entering Congress, Casten has prioritized energy policy and climate change, calling it his number one issue. He serves on the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis and has introduced several bills, including the Climate Risk Disclosure Act, the End Oil and Gas Subsidies Act, and the Clean Industrial Technology Act of 2019. He has also led efforts to raise the profile of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), launching a viral “Hot FERC Summer” campaign in 2021.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Casten’s most significant achievements is his role in helping Democrats regain control of the U.S. House in 2018 by flipping a longtime Republican seat. He has also become a leading congressional voice on climate legislation, introducing multiple bills aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing transparency around climate-related financial risks. In July 2024, Casten publicly called for President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 United States presidential election.
Sean Casten Career Wins
Sean Thomas Casten has won three consecutive general elections for the U.S. House of Representatives, beginning with his 2018 victory over incumbent Republican Peter Roskam. His wins have helped secure Democratic representation for Illinois’s 6th congressional district and have positioned him as a key figure in the national debate on energy and climate policy.
Congressional Election Highlights
Casten’s first congressional win came on November 6, 2018, when he defeated six-term Republican incumbent Peter Roskam by seven points. He followed that victory with a seven-point win over Jeanne Ives in 2020, demonstrating consistent support from his district. In 2022, after a competitive Democratic primary against Marie Newman, Casten defeated Republican nominee Keith Pekau by eight points to win a third term.
Other Wins & Achievements
Beyond electoral victories, Casten has earned recognition for his work on clean energy and climate disclosure legislation. His “Hot FERC Summer” campaign brought national attention to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the importance of clean energy regulation. He has also been a leading voice on abortion rights, voting for the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2022, and has co-sponsored legislation to study reparations for African Americans.
Sean Casten Family
Family Background and Lineage
Sean Thomas Casten was born to American parents Judy and Tom Casten, who raised him in Hartsdale, New York, after his birth in Dublin, Ireland. His father, Tom Casten, became a business partner when the two co-founded Recycled Energy Development in 2007, working together to advance clean energy solutions.
Personal Life
Casten married Kara Casten in 2000, and the couple lives in Downers Grove, Illinois. They had a daughter, Gwen Casten, who died suddenly on June 13, 2022, at the age of 17 from cardiac arrest. Casten has said his daughter had been in good health prior to her death.