1990 United States House of Representatives elections in Connecticut
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The 1990 United States House of Representatives elections in Connecticut were held on November 6, 1990, to elect the six members of the U.S. House, one from each of the state's congressional districts, to represent Connecticut in the 102nd Congress. These elections coincided with a gubernatorial election and elections to the state legislature.
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November 6, 1990
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All 6 Connecticut seats to the United States House of Representatives | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Turnout | 68.2%[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Republicans and Democrats retained the 3-3 split in the state's congressional delegation, with no seat changing hands.
Overview
| United States House of Representatives elections in Connecticut, 1990[2][3][4] | |||||
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| Party | Votes | Percentage | Seats | +/– | |
| Republican | 545,751 | 52.64% | 3 | 0 | |
| Democratic | 489,206 | 47.18% | 3 | 0 | |
| Liberty | 1,888 | 0.18% | 0 | 0 | |
| Write-in candidates | 47 | 0.00% | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | 1,036,892 | 100.00% | 6 | — | |
District 1
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| Turnout | 68.9%[1] | ||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democrat Barbara B. Kennelly, who was originally elected in 1981, faced 25 year-old Republican opponent James P. Garvey, a former aide to U.S. Representative Norman D. Shumway. Kennelly won re-election with 71.4% of the vote.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Barbara B. Kennelly (incumbent) | 126,566 | 71.40% | |
| Republican | James P. Garvey | 50,690 | 28.60% | |
| Total votes | 177,256 | 100.00% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 2
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| Turnout | 69.6%[1] | ||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democrat Sam Gejdenson, originally elected in 1980, faced Republican nominee John M. Ragsdale, a real estate developer from Stonington. Gejdenson won re-election to a sixth term with 59.7% of the vote.
Republican primary
Nominee
- John M. Ragsdale, Stonington real estate developer.
Defeated at convention
- William B. Cutler, Stonington commercial real estate agent.
Convention
| July 16 Republican convention | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Round 1 | |||
| Votes | % | |||
| John M. Ragsdale | 92 | 61.75% | ||
| William B. Cutler | 57 | 38.25% | ||
| Inactive Ballots | 1 ballot | |||
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sam Gejdenson (incumbent) | 105,085 | 59.70% | ||
| Republican | John M. Ragsdale | 70,922 | 40.29% | ||
| Write-in | 8 | 0.01% | |||
| Total votes | 176,015 | 100.00% | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
District 3
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| Turnout | 66.0%[1] | ||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democratic congressman Bruce Morrison retired to run for governor. Rosa DeLauro, the then chief of staff to U.S. Senator Chris Dodd, defeated Republican state senator Tom Scott with 52.1% to 47.9% of the vote.
Democratic primary
Nominee
- Rosa DeLauro, chief of staff to U.S. Senator Chris Dodd.
Withdrew
- Mike Lawlor, state representative from the 99th district.
Republican primary
Nominee
- Tom Scott, state senator from the 14th district.
Eliminated in primary
- Gerard B. Patton, former state representative from the 119th district (1979-1989) and nominee for this district in 1988.
Withdrew
- J. Vincent Chase, state representative from the 120th district.
Convention
| July 16 Republican convention | ||||
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| Candidate | Round 1 | |||
| Votes | % | |||
| Tom Scott | 96 | 76.80% | ||
| Gerard B. Patton | 29 | 23.20% | ||
| Inactive Ballots | 0 ballots | |||
Primary results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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| Republican | Tom Scott | 7,500 | 72.46% | |
| Republican | Gerard B. Patton | 2,851 | 27.54% | |
| Total votes | 10,351 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Rosa DeLauro | 90,772 | 52.10% | |
| Republican | Tom Scott | 83,440 | 47.90% | |
| Total votes | 174,212 | 100.00% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 4
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| Turnout | 62.5%[1] | ||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Chris Shays, originally elected in 1987, faced Darien lawyer and former Democratic town committee chairman Al Smith. Shays won re-election with 76.5% of the vote.
Democratic primary
Nominee
- Al Smith, lawyer and former Darien Democratic town committee chairman.
Defeated at convention
Convention
| July 16 Democratic convention | ||||
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| Candidate | Round 1 | |||
| Votes | % | |||
| Al Smith | 137 | 71.73% | ||
| John Loeser | 54 | 28.27% | ||
| Inactive Ballots | 13 ballots | |||
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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| Republican | Chris Shays (incumbent) | 105,682 | 76.54% | |
| Democratic | Al Smith | 32,352 | 23.43% | |
| Write-in | 34 | 0.03% | ||
| Total votes | 138,068 | 100.00% | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 5
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| Turnout | 70.6%[1] | ||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican congressman John G. Rowland retired to run for governor. Republican nominee Gary Franks, a member of the Waterbury board of aldermen, defeated former Democratic U.S. Representative Toby Moffett. Franks became the first black Republican elected to congress since Oscar De Priest's re-election in 1932.
Republican primary
The July 18 Republican convention was held at the Colonial Tavern in Oxford. Entering the convention, Gary Franks appeared as the underdog candidate, having the least number of delegates on the first ballot. Of his 21 original supporters, 20 were from his home city of Waterbury. Throughout the convention, the Waterbury delegates would stick to Franks.
After three ballots, Brookfield state Senator Jamie McLaughlin dropped out after declining to 16 votes. After the sixth roll call with no clear front-runner, the Sarasin camp convinced the convention to adopt a rule which would eliminate the candidate with the lowest number of delegates on each succeeding ballot. On the seventh roll-call, Franks was in last place. Suddenly Schlesinger asked a number of his delegates to switch their votes to Franks in an effort to eliminate Sarasin. This move would backfire, as on the eighth ballot Schlesinger scored last place behind Franks and Watson. Schlesinger then urged his delegates to support Franks. On the ninth ballot Franks defeated Watson 80-62, with Watson subsequently endorsing him.
Nominee
- Gary Franks, member of the Waterbury Board of Aldermen and nominee for state comptroller in 1986.
Defeated at convention
- Steve Watson, former regional director for the RNC and special assistant to the Reagan administration from Danbury.
- Alan Schlesinger, state representative from the 114th district.
- Warren Sarasin, former state representative from the 105th district (1979-1985) and brother of Ronald Sarasin.
- James McLaughlin, state Senator from the 32nd district.
Convention
| July 18 Republican convention (142 delegates) | |||||||||
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| Candidate | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
| Franks | 21 | 21 | 21 | 24 | 28 | 29 | 35 | 47 | 80 |
| Watson | 36 | 37 | 36 | 39 | 39 | 38 | 37 | 57 | 62 |
| Schlesinger | 33 | 35 | 37 | 43 | 42 | 43 | 36 | 38 | 0 |
| Sarasin | 30 | 30 | 32 | 36 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 0 | 0 |
| McLaughlin | 22 | 19 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Not Voting | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Democratic primary
Previously, former congressman Toby Moffett had run for U.S. Senate in 1982 against Lowell Weicker and for governor in 1986 against William A. O'Neill, losing both times. In 1990 he moved from Branford to Newtown in order to run for Rowland's seat.
He was opposed in the Democratic primary by Michael Pacowta, the Mayor of Shelton. On the July 16 Democratic convention held at Danbury High School, Moffett won the Democratic endorsement for the district nomination, winning 127 (62%) of the 204 total delegates, with Pacowta obtaining 77 (37.7%), scoring above the 20% threshold needed to force a primary. On July 24 Pacowta stated he would not seek a primary against Moffett.[5]
Nominee
- Toby Moffett, former U.S. Representative from the 6th congressional district.
Defeated at convention
- Michael Pacowta, Mayor of Shelton.
Convention
| July 16 Democratic convention | ||||
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| Candidate | Round 1 | |||
| Votes | % | |||
| Toby Moffett | 127 | 62.25% | ||
| Michael Pacowta | 77 | 37.75% | ||
| Inactive Ballots | 0 ballots | |||
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
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| Republican | Gary Franks | 93,912 | 51.71% | ||
| Democratic | Toby Moffett | 85,803 | 47.25% | ||
| Liberty | William G. Hare | 1,888 | 1.04% | ||
| Write-in | 5 | 0.00% | |||
| Total votes | 181,608 | 100.00% | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
District 6
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| Turnout | 71.0%[1] | ||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Nancy Johnson defeated Democratic nominee Paul Kulas, the First Selectman of Suffield. She won re-election with 74.4% of the vote.
Democratic primary
Nominee
- Paul Kulas, First Selectman of Suffield.
Defeated at convention
- Harold D. Hansen, former state senator from the 30th district (1975-1977) and candidate for this seat in 1986.
Convention
| July 16 Democratic convention | ||||
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| Candidate | Round 1 | |||
| Votes | % | |||
| Paul Kulas | 114 | 60.32% | ||
| Harold D. Hansen | 75 | 39.68% | ||
| Inactive Ballots | 0 ballots | |||
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
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| Republican | Nancy L. Johnson (incumbent) | 141,105 | 74.37% | ||
| Democratic | Paul Kulas | 48,628 | 25.63% | ||
| Total votes | 189,733 | 100.00% | |||
| Republican hold | |||||