Connecticut's 4th congressional district facts for kids

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+12, it is the one of the more Democratic districts in Connecticut, a state with an all-Democratic congressional delegation.

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

Recent presidential elections

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.

Recent elections

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.

1987 election (special)

1988 election

1990 election

1992 election

1994 election

1996 election

1998 election

2000 election

2002 election

2004 election

2006 election

2008 election

2010 election

2012 election

2014 election

2016 election

2018 election

2020 election

List of members representing the district

Member (Residence)	Party	Years of Service	Cong ress(es)	Electoral history
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		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 (Stamford)	Whig	March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1849		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		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		Elected in 1863. Re-elected in 1865. Lost re-election.
William Henry Barnum (Lime Rock)	Democratic	March 4, 1867 – May 18, 1876		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 – November 7, 1876	44th
Levi Warner (Norwalk)	Democratic	November 7, 1876 – March 3, 1879		Elected to finish Barnum's term. Also elected to the next term in 1876. Retired.
Frederick Miles (Salisbury)	Republican	March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1883		Elected in 1878. Re-elected in 1880. Retired.
Edward Woodruff Seymour (Litchfield)	Democratic	March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1887		Elected in 1882. Re-elected in 1884. Retired.
Miles T. Granger (North Canaan)	Democratic	March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1889	50th	Elected in 1886. Retired.
Frederick Miles (Salisbury)	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		Elected in 1890. Re-elected in 1892. Lost re-election.
Ebenezer J. Hill (Norwalk)	Republican	March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1913		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 (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		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		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		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 (Greenwich)	Republican	January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1941	76th	Elected in 1938. Lost re-election.
Le Roy D. Downs (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		Elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Retired.
John Davis Lodge (Westport)	Republican	January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1951		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		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		Elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1962. Lost re-election.
Donald J. Irwin (Norwalk)	Democratic	January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1969		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 (Fairfield)	Republican	January 3, 1971 – May 7, 1987		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		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.
Jim Himes (Cos Cob)	Democratic	January 3, 2009 – Present		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.

Historical district boundaries

2003–2013

See also

In Spanish: 4.º distrito congresional de Connecticut para niños