U.S. House, Connecticut - 2nd District
East -- Norwich, New London, Storrs
Race Forecast: Democrat Favored
2008: Rep.
2006: Courtney (D) 50 percent, Rep. Rob Simmons (R) 50 percent
During his first term in Congress -- which he won in 2006 by a record 83-vote margin -- Courtney has been a strong booster for one of the district’s top constituents, the Naval Submarine Base at Groton and the ship-building companies that have sprung up around it. For a district that with such focus on submarines and funding the naval base the GOP picked a potentially strong candidate in former Groton Base Commanding Officer Sean Sullivan. But Courtney headed into October with 10 times more cash for the race than Sullivan ($1.1 million to $133,000) and picked up endorsements from several local media outlets, while Sullivan’s lackluster fundraising demonstrated his failure to catch on as a candidate.
Race Information
- Incumbent: Rep. Joe Courtney, D
- First Elected: 2006 (1st term)
- Last Elected: 2006 (50.02%)
- Incumbent Status: Running for re-election
- Race Forecast: Democrat Favored
District Information
Politics in America District Profile
Predominately middle-class and politically moderate, the 2nd is the state’s largest district. It runs from the waterfront of Middlesex and New London counties north to the Massachusetts border through small former mill towns and the main campus of the University of Connecticut in Storrs.
Defense and tourism now steer the 2nd’s ship. Groton’s General Dynamics’ Electric Boat shipyard and the New London Naval Submarine Base are major employers. But declining Navy demand for subs is forcing shipyard layoffs, and the New London base has fought to survive recent BRAC rounds.
Coastal attractions such as historic Mystic Seaport draw visitors, but the massive American Indian-owned casino resorts are the rainmakers of the 2nd’s economy. The large casino Foxwoods, the state’s leading taxpayer, makes more than $1 billion in annual profit. Mohegan Sun, the resort casino in Uncasville, hosts the state’s only professional sports team, the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun. The influx of gamblers and casino workers has strained highways here, making transportation a chronic political issue. Casinos and surrounding towns also have quarreled over taxes and which regulations shall apply to reservation land.
The 2nd is largely white, with growing black and Hispanic communities. The competitive district’s U.S. House seat changed hands in 2006, and Democrat John Kerry took 54 percent of the 2004 presidential vote here.
Major Industry
Casinos, defense, tourism, health care
Military Bases
New London Naval Submarine Base, 7,500 military, 2,400 civilian (2006)
Cities
Norwich, 36,117; New London, 25,671
Notable
U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London.
- Demographics (2000 census)
- Population: 681,113
- Under 18: 24%
- Over 65: 12%
- Married: 57.4%
- Non-Hispanic White: 89%
- Black: 3%
- Hispanic: 4%
- Asian: 2%
- Foreign Born: 5.1%
- Language other than English: 9.8%
- Median Household Income: 54,498
- Owner Occupied Housing: 72%
- Income above $200k: 2.5
- Workforce/Education (2000 census)
- White Collar: 62.9%
- Blue Collar: 21.3%
- Services: 15.8%
- Bachelor's Degree: 29%
- Graduate Education: 12.1%
- Civilian Veterans: 75,422
| Year | Election | Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | general | Joe Courtney (D) | 210,786 | 65.5% |
| Sean Sullivan (R) | 104,029 | 32.3% | ||
| G. Deshefy (GREEN) | 6,895 | 2.1% | ||
| 2006 | general | Joe Courtney (D) | 121,248 | 50% |
| Rob Simmons (R) | 121,165 | 50% | ||
| 2004 | general | Rob Simmons (R) | 166,412 | 54.2% |
| Jim Sullivan (D) | 140,536 | 45.8% | ||
| 2002 | general | Rob Simmons (R) | 117,434 | 54.1% |
| Joe Courtney (D) | 99,674 | 45.9% | ||
| Year | Democrat | Republican | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | John Kerry: 54% | George W. Bush: 44% | |
| 2000 | Al Gore: 54% | George W. Bush: 40% |
Campaign Finance Details for the 2008 Race
| Filers | Through | Total Receipts | Total Disbursements | Total From PACs | Total From Individuals | Ending Cash | Debts Owed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SULLIVAN, SEAN PATRICK (R) | November 24, 2008 | $396,704.00 | $393,188.00 | $12,800.00 | $373,378.00 | $3,511.00 | |
| COURTNEY, JOSEPH D (D) | November 24, 2008 | $2,366,478.00 | $1,736,745.00 | $91,500.00 | $1,375,816.00 | $677,332.00 | |
| BENEDICT, JEFFREY R (D) | June 30, 2007 | $10,507.00 | |||||
| SIMMONS, ROB (R) | September 30, 2007 | $83,225.00 | $92,171.00 | $29,641.00 | $481.00 | $7,000.00 | |
| MCNALLY, SHAUN M (D) | September 30, 2008 | $6,392.00 | $26,784.00 | ||||
| DESHEFY, GREGORY SCOTT (UNKNOWN) | November 24, 2008 | $3,250.00 | $3,249.00 | $2,674.00 | $1.00 | $3,983.00 | |
