Elan Carr | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating anti-Semitism | |
| In office February 5, 2019 – January 20, 2021 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Ira Forman (2017) |
| Succeeded by | Deborah Lipstadt |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Elan Sherod Carr November 25, 1968 Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Dahlia Carr |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence(s) | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | UC Berkeley (B.A.) Northwestern University (J.D.) |
| Occupation | Attorney, diplomat |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1997- |
| 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.
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]
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]
