Connecticut's 4th congressional district
U.S. House district for Connecticut
Connecticut's 4th congressional district Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023
Representative Area 539 sq mi (1,400 km2 ) Distribution Population (2022) 710,465 Median household income $106,972[1] Ethnicity Cook PVI D+13[2]
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 – an area largely coextensive with the Connecticut side of the New York metropolitan area . The district also extends inland, toward Danbury and toward the Lower Naugatuck Valley .
The district is currently represented by Democrat Jim Himes . With a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of D+13, it is the most Democratic district in Connecticut, a state with an all-Democratic congressional delegation.[2] Historically, the 4th was a classic "Yankee Republican" district. However, it has not supported a Republican for president since 1988, and has swung increasingly Democratic at the national level since the 1990s. This culminated in 2020, when Joe Biden won it with 64 percent of the vote, his best showing in the state.
However, even as the district swung increasingly Democratic at the national level, Republicans usually held this district without serious difficulty until the turn of the millennium. In 2004, however, Democrat Diane Farrell held longtime incumbent Chris Shays to only 52 percent of the vote, the closest race in the district in 30 years. Shays fended off an equally spirited challenge from Farrell in 2006 before losing to Himes in 2008. Himes has held the seat ever since.
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[3]
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%
Recent presidential elections
Recent elections
1987 (special)
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
List of members representing the district
Member(Residence)
Party
Years of service
Cong ress(es)
Electoral history
Location
District created March 4, 1837
Thomas T. Whittlesey (Danbury )
Democratic
March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1839
25th
Redistricted from the at-large district and re-elected in 1837 . .[data missing ]
Thomas B. Osborne (Fairfield )
Whig
March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1843
26th 27th
Elected in 1839 .Re-elected in 1840 . Retired.
Samuel Simons (Bridgeport )
Democratic
March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845
28th
Elected in 1843 . Retired.
Truman Smith (Litchfield )
Whig
March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1849
29th 30th
Elected in 1845 .Re-elected in 1847 . Retired to run for U.S. senator .
Thomas B. Butler (Norwalk )
Whig
March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1851
31st
Elected in 1849 . Lost re-election.
Origen S. Seymour (Litchfield )
Democratic
March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1855
32nd 33rd
Elected in 1851 .Re-elected in 1853 . Retired to become judge of the Connecticut Superior Court .
William W. Welch (Norfolk )
American
March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857
34th
Elected in 1855 . Retired.
William D. Bishop (Bridgeport )
Democratic
March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1859
35th
Elected in 1857 . Lost re-election.
Orris S. Ferry (Norwalk )
Republican
March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1861
36th
Elected in 1859 . Lost re-election.
George C. Woodruff (Litchfield )
Democratic
March 4, 1861 – March 3, 1863
37th
Elected in 1861 . Lost re-election.
John Henry Hubbard (Litchfield )
Republican
March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1867
38th 39th
Elected in 1863 .Re-elected in 1865 . Lost re-election.
William Henry Barnum (Lime Rock )
Democratic
March 4, 1867 – May 18, 1876
40th 41st 42nd 43rd 44th
Elected in 1867 .Re-elected in 1869 .Re-elected in 1871 .Re-elected in 1873 .Re-elected in 1875 . Resigned when elected U.S. senator .
Vacant
May 18, 1876 – December 4, 1876
44th
Levi Warner (Norwalk )
Democratic
December 4, 1876 – March 3, 1879
44th 45th
Elected to finish Barnum's term .Also elected to the next term in 1876 . Retired.
Frederick Miles (Chapinville )
Republican
March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1883
46th 47th
Elected in 1878 .Re-elected in 1880 . Retired.
Edward Woodruff Seymour (Litchfield )
Democratic
March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1887
48th 49th
Elected in 1882 .Re-elected in 1884 . Retired.
Miles T. Granger (Canaan )
Democratic
March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1889
50th
Elected in 1886 . Retired.
Frederick Miles (Chapinville )
Republican
March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1891
51st
Elected in 1888 . Lost re-election.
Robert E. De Forest (Bridgeport )
Democratic
March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1895
52nd 53rd
Elected in 1890 .Re-elected in 1892 . Lost re-election.
Ebenezer J. Hill (Norwalk )
Republican
March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1913
54th 55th 56th 57th 58th 59th 60th 61st 62nd
Elected in 1894 .Re-elected in 1896 .Re-elected in 1898 .Re-elected in 1900 .Re-elected in 1902 .Re-elected in 1904 .Re-elected in 1906 .Re-elected in 1908 .Re-elected in 1910 . Lost re-election.
Jeremiah Donovan (South Norwalk )
Democratic
March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1915
63rd
Elected in 1912 . Lost re-election.
Ebenezer J. Hill (Norwalk )
Republican
March 4, 1915 – September 27, 1917
64th 65th
Elected in 1914 .Re-elected in 1916 . Died.
Vacant
September 27, 1917 – November 6, 1917
65th
Schuyler Merritt (Stamford )
Republican
November 6, 1917 – March 3, 1931
65th 66th 67th 68th 69th 70th 71st
Elected to finish Hill's term .Re-elected in 1918 .Re-elected in 1920 .Re-elected in 1922 .Re-elected in 1924 .Re-elected in 1926 .Re-elected in 1928 . Lost re-election.
William L. Tierney (Greenwich )
Democratic
March 4, 1931 – March 3, 1933
72nd
Elected in 1930 . Lost re-election.
Schuyler Merritt (Stamford )
Republican
March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1937
73rd 74th
Elected in 1932 .Re-elected in 1934 . Lost re-election.
Alfred N. Phillips (Stamford )
Democratic
January 3, 1937 – January 3, 1939
75th
Elected in 1936 . Lost re-election.
Albert E. Austin (Old Greenwich )
Republican
January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1941
76th
Elected in 1938 . Lost re-election.
Le Roy D. Downs (South Norwalk )
Democratic
January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1943
77th
Elected in 1940 . Lost re-election.
Clare Boothe Luce (Greenwich )
Republican
January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1947
78th 79th
Elected in 1942 .Re-elected in 1944 . Retired.
John Davis Lodge (Westport )
Republican
January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1951
80th 81st
Elected in 1946 .Re-elected in 1948 . Retired to run for Governor of Connecticut .
Albert P. Morano (Greenwich )
Republican
January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1959
82nd 83rd 84th 85th
Elected in 1950 .Re-elected in 1952 .Re-elected in 1954 .Re-elected in 1956 . Lost re-election.
Donald J. Irwin (Norwalk )
Democratic
January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1961
86th
Elected in 1958 . Lost re-election.
Abner W. Sibal (Norwalk )
Republican
January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1965
87th 88th
Elected in 1960 .Re-elected in 1962 . Lost re-election.
Donald J. Irwin (Norwalk )
Democratic
January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1969
89th 90th
Elected in 1964 .Re-elected in 1966 . Lost re-election.
Lowell Weicker (Greenwich )
Republican
January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1971
91st
Elected in 1968 . Retired to run for U.S. senator .
Stewart McKinney (Westport )
Republican
January 3, 1971 – May 7, 1987
92nd 93rd 94th 95th 96th 97th 98th 99th 100th
Elected in 1970 .Re-elected in 1972 .Re-elected in 1974 .Re-elected in 1976 .Re-elected in 1978 .Re-elected in 1980 .Re-elected in 1982 .Re-elected in 1984 .Re-elected in 1986 . Died.
Vacant
May 7, 1987 – August 18, 1987
100th
Christopher Shays (Bridgeport )
Republican
August 18, 1987 – January 3, 2009
100th 101st 102nd 103rd 104th 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th
Elected to finish McKinney's term .Re-elected in 1988 .Re-elected in 1990 .Re-elected in 1992 .Re-elected in 1994 .Re-elected in 1996 .Re-elected in 1998 .Re-elected in 2000 .Re-elected in 2002 .Re-elected in 2004 .Re-elected in 2006 . Lost re-election.
1993–2003 [data missing ]
2003–2013
Jim Himes (Cos Cob )
Democratic
January 3, 2009 – present
111th 112th 113th 114th 115th 116th 117th 118th
Elected in 2008 .Re-elected in 2010 .Re-elected in 2012 .Re-elected in 2014 .Re-elected in 2016 .Re-elected in 2018 .Re-elected in 2020 .Re-elected in 2022 .
2013–2023
2023–present
See also
References
Notes
Bibliography
41°11′49″N 73°23′19″W / 41.19694°N 73.38861°W / 41.19694; -73.38861