Connecticut's 4th congressional district

Connecticut's 4th congressional district
Current Representative		Jim Himes (D–Cos Cob)
Area	539 mi²
Distribution	95.9% urban, 4.1% rural
Population (2010)	714,819
Median income	$66,598
Ethnicity	64.8% White, 11.2% Black, 4.6% Asian, 17.4% Hispanic, 0.1% Native American, 1.9% other
Cook PVI	D+5

Connecticut's 4th Congressional District is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in the southwestern part of the state, the district is largely suburban and extends from Bridgeport, the largest city in the state, to Greenwich. The district also moves inland toward Danbury and the Lower Naugatuck Valley.

Principal cities include: Bridgeport, Norwalk, and Stamford.

The district is currently represented by Democrat Jim Himes.

Towns in the District

The district includes the following towns:

Fairfield County - Bridgeport, Darien, Easton, Fairfield, Greenwich, Monroe, New Canaan, Norwalk, Redding, Ridgefield, Shelton (part), Stamford, Trumbull, Weston, Westport, and Wilton.

New Haven County - Oxford.

Voter Registration

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 30, 2012
Party		Active	Inactive	Total	Percentage
	Democratic	141,355	9,427	150,782	36.17%
	Republican	98,663	5,106	103,769	24.89%
	Minor Parties	3,737	312	4,049	0.97%
	Unaffiliated	146,218	12,043	158,261	37.97%
Total		389,973	26,888	416,861	100.00%

Presidential Performance

2012 - Obama - 55.09%, Romney - 44.03%, Third Party - 0.88%
2008 - Obama - 59.70%, McCain - 39.64%, Third Party - 0.67%
2004 - Kerry - 52.39%, Bush - 46.28%, Third Party - 1.33%
2000 - Gore - 54.80% , Bush - 40.97%, Third Party - 4.23%

Performance Average - Democrat (55.50%), Republican (42.73%), Third Party (1.78%)

Recent elections

1992 election

Connecticut 4th congressional district election, 1992: Connecticut District 4
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Christopher Shays	147,816	67.31
	Democratic	David Schropfer	58,666	26.71
	A Connecticut Party	Al Smith	11,679	5.32
	Natural Law	Ronald M. Fried	1,445	0.66
	Republican hold		Swing
Turnout			219,606

1994 election

Connecticut 4th congressional district election, 1996: Connecticut District 4
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Christopher Shays	109,436	74.41	+7.10
	Democratic	Jonathan Kantrowitz	34,962	23.77	-2.94
	Libertarian	Irving Sussman	1,976	1.34	+1.34
	Natural Law	Terry M. Nevas	688	0.47	-0.19
	Republican hold		Swing
Turnout			147,062

1996 election

Connecticut 4th congressional district election, 1996: Connecticut District 4
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Christopher Shays	121,949	60.46	-13.95
	Democratic	William Finch	75,902	37.63	+13.86
	Libertarian	Edward H. Tonkin	2,815	1.40	+0.06
	Natural Law	Terry M. Nevas	1,046	0.52	+0.05
	Republican hold		Swing
Turnout			201,712

1998 election

Connecticut 4th congressional district election, 1998: Connecticut District 4
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Christopher Shays	94,767	69.07	+8.61
	Democratic	Jonathan Kantrowitz	40,988	27.87	-9.76
	Libertarian	Marshall C. Harrison	1,449	1.06	-0.34
	Republican hold		Swing
Turnout			137,204

2000 election

Connecticut 4th congressional district election, 2000: Connecticut District 4
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Christopher Shays	119,155	57.63	-11.44
	Democratic	Stephanie Sanchez	84,472	40.86	+12.99
	Libertarian	Daniel Gislao	2,034	0.98	-0.08
	Independent	Frank M. Don	1,097	0.53	+0.53
	Republican hold		Swing
Turnout			206,758

2002 election

Connecticut 4th congressional district election, 2002: Connecticut District 4
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Christopher Shays	113,197	64.43	+6.80
	Democratic	Stephanie Sanchez	62,491	35.57	-5.29
	Republican hold		Swing
Turnout			175,688

2004 election

Connecticut 4th congressional district election, 2004: Connecticut District 4
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Christopher Shays	152,493	52.43	-12.00
	Democratic	Diane Farrell	138,333	47.57	+12.00
	Republican hold		Swing	-12.00
Turnout			290,826

2006 election

Main article: Connecticut 4th congressional district election, 2006

Connecticut 4th congressional district election, 2006: Connecticut District 4
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Christopher Shays	106,558	50.87	-1.56
	Democratic	Diane Farrell	99,913	47.70	+0.13
	Libertarian	Phil Maymin	2,998	1.73	+1.73
	Republican hold		Swing	-0.85
Turnout			209,469

2008 election

Connecticut 4th congressional district election, 2008: Connecticut District 4
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Jim Himes	149,345	48.37	+0.67
	Republican	Christopher Shays	146,854	47.56	-3.31
	Working Families	Jim Himes	9,130	2.96	+2.96
	Libertarian	Michael A. Carrano	2,049	0.66	-1.07
	Green	Richard Z. Duffee	1,388	0.45	+0.45
Turnout			308,776
	Democratic gain from Republican		Swing	+3.47

2010 election

Connecticut 4th congressional district election, 2010: Connecticut District 4
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Jim Himes	110,746	50.95	+2.58
	Republican	Daniel Debicella	102,030	46.94	-0.62
	Working Families	Jim Himes	4,605	2.12	-0.84
Turnout			217,381
	Democratic hold		Swing	+1.18

2012 election

Connecticut 4th Congressional District Election, 2012
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Jim Himes	167,320	57.02	+6.07
	Republican	Steve Obsitnik	117,503	40.04	-6.90
	Working Families	Jim Himes	8,609	2.93	+0.81
Turnout			293,432
	Democratic hold		Swing

List of Representatives

Representative	Party	Years of Service	Hometown	Electoral history
Thomas T. Whittlesey	Jacksonian	March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1839	Danbury	Redistricted from the at-large district
Thomas B. Osborne	Whig	March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1843	Fairfield	Retired
Samuel Simons	Democratic	March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845	Bridgeport	Retired
Truman Smith	Whig	March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1849	Stamford	Retired to run for U.S. Senate
Thomas B. Butler	Whig	March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1851	Norwalk	Lost re-election
Origen S. Seymour	Democratic	March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1855	Litchfield	Retired to become judge of the Connecticut Superior Court
William W. Welch	American	March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857	Norfolk	Retired
William D. Bishop	Democratic	March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1859	Bridgeport	Lost re-election
Orris S. Ferry	Republican	March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1861	Norwalk	Lost re-election
George C. Woodruff	Democratic	March 4, 1861 – March 3, 1863	Litchfield	Lost re-election
John Henry Hubbard	Republican	March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1867	Litchfield	Lost re-election
William Henry Barnum	Democratic	March 4, 1867 – May 18, 1876	Lime Rock	Resigned when elected to U.S. Senate
Vacant		May 18, 1876 – December 4, 1876
Levi Warner	Democratic	December 4, 1876 – March 3, 1879	Norwalk	Retired
Frederick Miles	Republican	March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1883	Salisbury	Retired
Edward Woodruff Seymour	Democratic	March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1887	Litchfield	Retired
Miles T. Granger	Democratic	March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1889	North Canaan	Retired
Frederick Miles	Republican	March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1891	Salisbury	Lost re-election
Robert E. De Forest	Democratic	March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1895	Bridgeport	Lost re-election
Ebenezer J. Hill	Republican	March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1913	Norwalk	Lost re-election
Jeremiah Donovan	Democratic	March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1915	Norwalk	Lost re-election
Ebenezer J. Hill	Republican	March 4, 1915 – September 27, 1917	Norwalk	Died
Vacant		September 27, 1917 – November 6, 1917
Schuyler Merritt	Republican	November 6, 1917 – March 3, 1931	Stamford	Lost re-election
William L. Tierney	Democratic	March 4, 1931 – March 3, 1933	Greenwich	Lost re-election
Schuyler Merritt	Republican	March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1937	Stamford	Lost re-election
Alfred N. Phillips	Democratic	January 3, 1937 – January 3, 1939	Stamford	Lost re-election
Albert E. Austin	Republican	January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1941	Greenwich	Lost re-election
Le Roy D. Downs	Democratic	January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1943	Norwalk	Lost re-election
Clare Boothe Luce	Republican	January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1947	Greenwich	Retired
John Davis Lodge	Republican	January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1951	Westport	Retired to run for Governor
Albert P. Morano	Republican	January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1959	Greenwich	Lost re-election
Donald J. Irwin	Democratic	January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1961	Norwalk	Lost re-election
Abner W. Sibal	Republican	January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1965	Norwalk	Lost re-election
Donald J. Irwin	Democratic	January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1969	Norwalk	Lost re-election
Lowell P. Weicker, Jr.	Republican	January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1971	Greenwich	Retired to run for U.S. Senate
Stewart McKinney	Republican	January 3, 1971 – May 7, 1987	Fairfield	Died
Vacant		May 7, 1987 – August 18, 1987
Christopher Shays	Republican	August 18, 1987 – January 3, 2009	Bridgeport	Lost re-election
Jim Himes	Democratic	January 3, 2009 – Present	Greenwich	First elected in 2008

References

• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. 
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. 
• Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present