Elan Carr
State Department portrait of Elan Carr upon Special Envoy appointment
United States Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating anti-Semitism
In office
February 5, 2019 – January 20, 2021
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byIra Forman (2017)
Succeeded byDeborah Lipstadt
Personal details
Born
Elan Sherod Carr

(1968-11-25) November 25, 1968
Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseDahlia Carr
Children3
Residence(s)Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma materUC Berkeley (B.A.)
Northwestern University (J.D.)
OccupationAttorney, diplomat
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
Years of service1997-
Rank Major
Unit Judge Advocate General's Corps

Elan Sherod Carr (born November 25, 1968) is the incoming CEO of the Israeli American Council.[1] Previously, he was an American attorney and politician who served as the Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating anti-Semitism under President Donald Trump from 2019 to 2021.[2][3][4][5]

Before that appointment, Carr was a deputy district attorney in the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office.[3][6] In 2014, he was the Republican candidate for the US House of Representatives, losing the general election to Ted Lieu. Carr is also an officer in the Judge Advocate General's Corps in the U.S. Army Reserve and an Iraq War veteran.

Political candidacies

In 2014, Carr ran as a Republican to succeed retiring Congressman Henry Waxman, representing California's 33rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.[7] In the heavily Democratic district, his message centered on bipartisan solutions to the country's problems and he spoke about the support he was receiving from Democrats.[7]

In the June nonpartisan blanket primary, he placed first, receiving approximately 21% of the votes cast, defeating all Democratic candidates, who split the Democratic vote in the district.[8]

In the November general election, Carr faced Democratic state senator Ted Lieu.[9] Lieu defeated Carr, securing 59.2% of the vote to Carr's 40.8%.[10]

In 2016, Carr was a candidate to represent the 5th Supervisorial District on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.[11] Republican donor Sheldon Adelson contributed $100,000 to an independent expenditure political action committee in support of Carr's candidacy.[11] Carr failed to advance in the June primary.[12]

Personal

Carr speaking in 2019

Carr is of mixed Iraqi Jewish and Ashkenazi Jewish heritage.[13] His grandfather, a descendant of Baghdad religious leader Abdallah Somekh, was prosecuted during Iraqi show trials against Jewish community leaders during the time of the founding of the state of Israel.[13]

During Carr's Iraq War service, he led U.S soldiers in lighting a Hanukkah menorah in Saddam Hussein's presidential palace.[14][13]

Carr's mother and stepfather are immigrants to the United States. His mother fled from Iraq to Israel, while his stepfather fled from Nazi-occupied Bulgaria to pre-independence Israel. Both later immigrated to the United States.[15] His biological father is second generation Irish and Italian descent.

Carr earned his bachelor's degree in philosophy and political science at the University of California, Berkeley and his J.D. degree at Northwestern University.[16][13] He previously served as international president of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity.[14][13]

He and his wife Dahlia, a physician, met when they were introduced by a mutual friend hosting a Jewish singles event.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Israeli American Council appoints Elan S. Carr as CEO". 18 September 2023.
  2. ↑ 118 Stat. 1282, 1284. "The head of the Office shall be the Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating anti-Semitism (in this section referred to as the 'Special Envoy')."
  3. 1 2 Pompeo, Michael R. (February 5, 2019). "On the Appointment of Elan S. Carr as Special Envoy To Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism" (Remarks by the Secretary of State). Washington, DC: United States Department of State. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  4. ↑ Kampeas, Ron (February 4, 2019). "Trump names prosecutor, former AEPi leader, Iraq war vet to be anti-Semitism monitor". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Trump to appoint Elan Carr Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism". JewishInsider. February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Alpha Epsilon Pi Leader Named US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism: Past International President Elan S. Carr to Lead United States' Government's Efforts Against Global Anti-Semitism" (Press release). Indianapolis, IN: Alpha Epsilon Pi. February 5, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2019. A lifelong advocate for Jewish causes, Carr was previously a Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County (CA) where he prosecuted violent felony crimes for more than a decade. He has prosecuted murders, armed robberies, hate crimes, and some of Southern California's most notorious criminal street gangs. Most recently as a special victim prosecutor, he focused on sexual assault, domestic violence, and child molestation cases.
  7. 1 2 3 Yeang, Nancy (July 10, 2014). "Who is Elan Carr? Straight talk with the Congressional candidate in a Weekly exclusive" (PDF). Beverly Hills Weekly. No. 771. pp. 6–7. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  8. ↑ Daunt, Tina (June 4, 2014). "Republican Elan Carr Leads Wendy Greuel, Ted Lieu in Race for Henry Waxman's 33rd District Seat". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  9. ↑ Sumers, Brian (4 June 2014). "Republican Elan Carr, Democrat Ted Lieu set for November general election battle". The Daily Breeze. Retrieved 2014-06-22.
  10. ↑ Sichel, Jared (March 12, 2015). "Former congressional candidate Elan Carr to run for county supervisor". The Jewish Journal. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  11. 1 2 Sewell, Abby (June 6, 2016). "Casino mogul Sheldon Adelson gives $100,000 to support L.A. County supervisor candidate". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  12. ↑ Sewell, Abby; Zahniser, David; Walton, Alice (June 8, 2016). "Janice Hahn and Kathryn Barger face runoffs in L.A. County supervisor races". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 Frydberg, Tracy (January 6, 2013). "Iraqi past trails former frat boy to Israel, LA and Saddam's former palace: Now a prosecutor and the head of the world's largest Jewish fraternity, Elan Carr has drawn on his painful family history in each phase of life". The Times of Israel. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  14. 1 2 Leibovich, Mark (April 24, 2014). "The Real House Candidates of Beverly Hills". The New York Times. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  15. ↑ "Carr announces candidacy for 33rd Congressional District" (PDF). Beverly Hills Weekly. No. 750. February 13, 2014. pp. 3–4. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  16. ↑ Daily, Krista (May 26, 2016). "Meet the Fifth District supervisor candidates for primary election". The Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
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