On Wednesday, Democrat U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney was nominated at the second district convention in Enfield for a fifth term. Republicans will soon nominate a challenger. Who? It doesn’t really matter — they have no chance against Courtney. That’s a big, ongoing problem for Republicans, and for our democracy.
We’re used to at least a couple of safe seats for Democrats here — the first and the third districts are solid locks for U.S. Reps. John Larson and Rosa DeLauro. But when did all five seats become safe? How did some of the most competitive House seats in the nation a decade ago turn into dull-as-dishwater strolls for Democratic incumbents?
Republicans are likely to protest that the fifth and fourth districts have the potential to be competitive, but this is not true. They’re safe. The reasons why have less to do with the appeal of Democrats, and more to do with the fading relevance of the Republican Party in both this state and in New England generally.
Let’s examine things district by district:
Susan Bigelow is an award-winning columnist and the founder of CTLocalPolitics. She lives in Enfield with her wife and their cats.
See the complete story at CT News Junkie.
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