Eric Dean Coleman (born May 26, 1951) is a Democratic politician in the United States. He served as state senator of Connecticut's 2nd District, representing Bloomfield, Hartford, and Windsor. He served as a state representative from 1983 to 1994, and held the position of Deputy President Pro Tempore in the Connecticut Senate. Coleman is a graduate of Pomfret School, Columbia University, and the University of Connecticut School of Law. In 2001, he became the first African-American to chair the Judiciary Committee, and now held the chairmanship of the Planning and Development Committee.