| State: | Connecticut |
| District Number: | 5 |
| Image Caption: | Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023 |
| Representative: | Jahana Hayes |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Residence: | Wolcott |
| English Area: | 1,282 |
| Percent Urban: | 85.79 |
| Percent Rural: | 14.21 |
| Population: | 734,438 |
| Population Year: | 2022 |
| Median Income: | $87,715[1] |
| Percent White: | 63.3 |
| Percent Hispanic: | 20.9 |
| Percent Black: | 6.7 |
| Percent Asian: | 3.8 |
| Percent More Than One Race: | 4.1 |
| Percent Other Race: | 1.2 |
| Cpvi: | D+3[2] |
Connecticut's 5th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in the western part of the state and spanning across parts of Fairfield, Litchfield, New Haven, and Hartford Counties, the district runs from Meriden and New Britain in central Connecticut, westward to Danbury and the surrounding Housatonic Valley, encompassing the Farmington Valley, Upper Naugatuck River Valley, and the Litchfield Hills. The district also includes most of Waterbury.[3]
The district is currently represented by Democrat Jahana Hayes. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of D+3, it is one of the least Democratic districts in Connecticut, a state with an all-Democratic congressional delegation.[2]
Historically Republican, the 5th congressional district has been trending Democratic since 2004. John Kerry carried the district with 49.3% of the vote, a margin of 1,112 votes in the 2004 presidential election. Barack Obama carried the district in 2008 with 56.3% of the vote and in 2012 with 53.5% of the vote.
The current 5th congressional district was created in 2002 due to reapportionment following the 2000 U.S. census. Due to slow population growth, Connecticut lost a seat and the old Waterbury-based 5th district was merged with the New Britain-based 6th district. However, the merged district contained more of the old 6th's territory.
From 1964 to 1990 the 5th congressional district included many towns in Fairfield County which are now located in the 4th congressional district, such as Wilton, Monroe, Ridgefield, and Shelton. It also included the lower Naugatuck River Valley towns of Ansonia, Derby, Seymour, and Naugatuck which are now in the 3rd congressional district.
In the early 20th century the 5th congressional district included Waterbury, Litchfield County, and the Naugatuck Valley. It did not include any portion of Fairfield or Hartford counties and did not include the City of Meriden.
The district includes the following towns:
| Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 30, 2012[4] | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Active voters | Inactive voters | Total voters | Percentage | ||||||
| Democratic | align=center | 108,601 | align=center | 4,720 | align=center | 113,321 | align=center | 29.96% | ||
| Republican | align=center | 89,242 | align=center | 3,554 | align=center | 92,796 | align=center | 24.53% | ||
| Minor parties | align=center | 3,728 | align=center | 152 | align=center | 3,880 | align=center | 1.03% | ||
| Unaffiliated | align=center | 159,433 | align=center | 8,782 | align=center | 168,215 | align=center | 44.489% | ||
| Total | align=center | 361,004 | align=center | 17,208 | align=center | 378,212 | align=center | 100% | ||
| Election results from presidential races | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | Results | |
| 2000 | President | Gore 52–43% | |
| 2004 | President | Kerry 49.3–49% | |
| 2008 | President | Obama 56–42% | |
| 2012 | President | Obama 54–45% | |
| 2016 | President | Clinton 50–46% | |
| 2020 | President | Biden 55–44% | |
District organized from Connecticut's at-large congressional district in 1837.
| Representative | Party | Service | Cong ress(es) | Electoral history | Location | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District created March 4, 1837 | ||||||||
| align=left | Lancelot Phelps | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1839 | redistricted from the and re-elected in 1837. Retired. | |||
| align=left | Truman Smith | Whig | nowrap | March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1843 | Elected in 1839. Re-elected in 1840. Retired. | |||
| District eliminated following the 1840 census | ||||||||
| District organized from Connecticut's at-large congressional district in 1913 | ||||||||
| align=left | William Kennedy | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1915 | Elected in 1912. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | James P. Glynn | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1923 | Elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | Patrick B. O'Sullivan | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1923 – March 3, 1925 | Elected in 1922. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | James P. Glynn | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1925 – March 6, 1930 | Elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Died. | |||
| Vacant | nowrap | March 6, 1930 – November 4, 1930 | ||||||
| align=left | Edward W. Goss | Republican | nowrap | November 4, 1930 – January 3, 1935 | Elected to finish Glynn's term. Re-elected in 1930. Re-elected in 1932. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | J. Joseph Smith | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1935 – November 4, 1941 | Elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Resigned when appointed Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals. | |||
| Vacant | nowrap | November 4, 1941 – January 20, 1942 | ||||||
| align=left | Joseph E. Talbot | Republican | nowrap | January 20, 1942 – January 3, 1947 | Elected to finish Smith's term. Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Retired to run for Governor of Connecticut. | |||
| align=left | James T. Patterson | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1959 | Elected in 1946. Re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | John S. Monagan | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1973 | Elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | Ronald A. Sarasin | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1979 | Elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Retired to run for Governor of Connecticut. | |||
| align=left | William R. Ratchford | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1985 | Elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | John G. Rowland | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1985 – January 3, 1991 | Elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Retired to run for Governor of Connecticut. | |||
| align=left | Gary Franks | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1991 – January 3, 1997 | Elected in 1990. Re-elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | James H. Maloney | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2003 | Elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | Nancy Johnson | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2007 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Lost re-election. | 2003–2013 | ||
| align=left | Chris Murphy | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2013 | Elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Retired to run for U.S. Senator. | |||
| align=left | Elizabeth Esty | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2019 | Elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Retired. | 2013–2023 | ||
Jahana Hayes | Democratic | January 3, 2019 – present | Elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. | |||||
| 2023–present | ||||||||