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Nov 06, 2024

CT election: Some U.S. House races not called; incumbents lead

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Although only partial election results were in by the end of Tuesday, incumbents in two of Connecticut’s U.S. House districts showed sizable leads in their races while the 2nd District race was called for U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney and the 1st District race was called for John Larson.

The competitive race for the state’s 5th Congressional District, however, remained close.

Jim Himes, an eight-term Democrat, was expected to beat Republican Michael Goldstein, a physician and attorney, and Independent Party candidate Benjamin Wesley, a manufacturing mechanical engineer, in the state’s 4th District.

Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat who has served 17 terms in Connecticut’s 3rd District, was expected to defeat Republican Michael Massey, a businessman who owns a store in New Haven.

Larson, a 13-term Democrat, trounced Republican Jim Griffin, a former Pentagon briefing officer, and Mary L. Sanders, a Green Party candidate, in Connecticut’s 1st District.

And Courtney, a Democrat completing his ninth term, beat Republican Mike France, a former state representative and retired U.S. Navy officer in the 2nd District.

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Victories would mean Connecticut’s federal delegation will remain nearly all blue, barring the outcome in the competitive 5th District between incumbent Democrat Jahana Hayes and her Republican challenger George Logan.

The balance of power in Congress, however, remains in flux. Republicans currently control the U.S. House, while Democrats hold the U.S. Senate, although those majorities are very narrow in both chambers.

Control of Congress will determine whether Democratic members in Connecticut take back leadership roles on their committees. If Democrats win the majority in the House, DeLauro would once again become chairwoman of the influential House Appropriations Committee, which helps craft government spending bills.

For the rest of the delegation, members could also take back the gavel on other panels depending on the results: Larson on the Social Security Subcommittee, Courtney on the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, Himes on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and Hayes on the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations.

If Republicans retain control of the lower chamber in Congress, Democrats will keep their roles as the ranking members — the top lawmakers for the minority party — in their currently assigned committees and subcommittees.

In an interview earlier Tuesday, Courtney said his focus on job growth and on bipartisan cooperation has made a difference.

The Electric Boat Shipyard in Groton, one of the largest employers in the district that encompasses 63 municipalities across most of eastern Connecticut, made about 5,300 hires last year, fueled by federal contracts.

Courtney, one of Electric Boat’s chief advocates on Capitol Hill, added, “there’s a real desire for politics to become a lot more normal.” And while Congress still struggles with partisan gridlock, “I have a pretty credible track record, both in Hartford and Washington, in terms of reaching across the aisle,” he said.

Courtney posted on X late Tuesday that France had called to congratulate him.

“I thanked him for his great service to our nation and his continued work in support of our Navy,” Courtney wrote. “Looking forward to going back to Washington to continue working for eastern CT.”

In a televised debate last week, Himes and his opponents squared off on issues ranging from immigration to the conflict in the Middle East and the top of the presidential ticket.

Himes, who has represented the southwestern part of the state since 2009, focused much of his attacks on Donald Trump’s past administration and current candidacy and his Republican challenger’s support for the former president. Goldstein similarly challenged Himes by connecting him to the policies of the Biden-Harris administration as Vice President Kamala Harris seeks the presidency.

Wesley served as a foil to Himes and Goldstein on the U.S. response to Israel’s war in Gaza in the year since Hamas’ attack. Wesley said he hoped to use his candidacy to push for diplomacy over war and challenge the congressman in particular over weapons shipments to Israel. He argued that taxpayer dollars should be redirected to domestic needs.

As part of a voter guide created by The Connecticut Mirror, candidates in all four districts were asked about their views on abortion access, gun rights, how they would overcome partisan gridlock in Congress and other issues.

In the 1st District, Larson said he would oppose a national abortion ban.

“When I served in the state senate, we became the first state in the nation to guarantee the right to safe and legal abortion under state law,” he said. “In Congress, I’m a cosponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would restore abortion rights nationwide, as well as legislation to protect access to contraception and IVF, which have also come under attack in the last two years.”

Sanders, the Green Party challenger, said she also would not support a national ban on abortion, while Griffin, the Republican opponent, said he would favor it.

On gun rights, Larson and Sanders said they would back legislation expanding background checks and a ban on assault rifles. Griffin said he would not.

“Raising the issue of banning AR-15 assault rifles is a poorly disguised, yet overt attempt to preclude Constitutionally minded Americans of their hard-won 2nd Amendment freedoms, the right to bear arms,” Griffin said.

In the 2nd District, Courtney said he has “stepped across the aisle” to work with Republican members on overcoming gridlock.

“[I did] what was necessary to avert catastrophic default, prevent government shutdown, and strengthen our national security,” he said. “I will continue to work with members of any party to advance local priorities, like I have done recently with passage of my legislation to protect the Long Island Sound, protect missing and exploited children, and protect Coast Guard Academy personnel from sexual assault.”

France said he would “focus on actual solutions” as opposed to “the messaging bills preferred by leadership and the political arms of both parties.”

“Solving local problems is necessarily bipartisan and nonpartisan and I will focus on what is best for Eastern Connecticut with the rest of our Congressional delegation,” he said.

Both DeLauro and Republican challenger Massey in the 3rd District said they would not support a national ban on abortion.

“I am a cosponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act which would enshrine the right to abortion into law, and a cosponsor of the Access to Family Building Act that would protect an individual’s right to assisted reproductive technology (ART) including IVF,” DeLauro said.

“I like that CT gets to set its own terms,” Massey added. “I have five sisters; I would never vote for a national ban.”

CT Mirror Reporter Keith M. Phaneuf contributed to this story.

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The Connecticut Mirror/Connecticut Public Radio federal policy reporter position is made possible, in part, by funding from the Robert and Margaret Patricelli Family Foundation.

Jenna is a reporter on The Connecticut Mirror’s investigative desk. Her reporting on gaps in Connecticut’s elder care system prompted sweeping changes in nursing home and home care policy. Jenna has also covered lapses in long-term care facilities, investigated the impact of cyberattacks on hospitals, and uncovered the questionable dealings of health ministry groups that masquerade as insurance. Her reporting sparked reforms in health care and government oversight, helped erase medical debt for Connecticut residents, and led to the indictments of developers in a major state project. Her work has been recognized by the National Press Foundation and the Association of Health Care Journalists. Before joining CT Mirror, she was a reporter at The Hartford Courant, where she covered government in the capital city with a focus on corruption, theft of taxpayer funds, and ethical violations.

Lisa Hagen is CT Mirror and CT Public's shared Federal Policy Reporter. Based in Washington, D.C., she focuses on the impact of federal policy in Connecticut and covers the state’s congressional delegation. Lisa previously covered national politics and campaigns for U.S. News & World Report, The Hill and National Journal’s Hotline. She is a New Jersey native and graduate of Boston University.