Connecticut's at-large congressional district

During the first twenty-four Congresses (from 1789 to 1837), Connecticut elected all its representatives in Congress from a single multi-member Connecticut at-large congressional district.

Connecticut's at-large congressional district
Obsolete district
Created	1789 (first)
Eliminated	1960 (last)
Years active	1789–1837; 1903–1913; 1933–1965

Connecticut elected a varying number of representatives during this period. From its inception in 1789 through the first reapportionment in 1793, there were five seats. From 1793 through 1823, there were seven seats. In 1823 the seats were reduced to six and in 1837 the system of at-large members was replaced with districts.

From 1903 to 1913 and from 1933 to 1965, Connecticut had a member of the United States House of Representatives who represented the state at-large, in addition to the members who represented distinct districts.

List of representatives

1789–1837: five, then seven, then six seats

All members were elected statewide at-large on a general ticket.

Congress and years
		Seat A				Seat B				Seat C				Seat D				Seat E				Seat F				Seat G
		Rep.	Party	Electoral history		Rep.	Party	Electoral history		Rep.	Party	Electoral history		Rep.	Party	Electoral history		Rep.	Party	Electoral history		Rep.	Party	Electoral history		Rep.	Party	Electoral history
1st	March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1791	Benjamin Huntington (Norwich)	Pro-Admin	Elected in 1788. Lost re-election.		Roger Sherman (New Milford)	Pro-Admin	Elected in 1788. Re-elected in 1790,[1] but instead resigned to become U.S. Senator.		Jonathan Sturges (Fairfield)	Pro-Admin	Elected in 1788. Re-elected in 1790. Re-elected in 1792 but declined to serve.		Jonathan Trumbull Jr. (Lebanon)	Pro-Admin	Elected in 1788. Re-elected in 1790. Re-elected in 1792. Re-elected in 1794 but declined to serve when instead elected U.S. Senator.		Jeremiah Wadsworth (Hartford)	Pro-Admin	Elected in 1788. Initially lost re-election but was re-elected in 1790 to finish the term of Pierpont Edwards (Pro-Administration), who had declined to serve. Re-elected again in 1790. Re-elected in 1792. Retired.		Seat created in 1793.				Seat created in 1793.
2nd	March 4, 1791 – March 3, 1793	James Hillhouse (New Haven)	Pro-Admin	Elected in 1790. Re-elected in 1792. Re-elected in 1794. Resigned when elected U.S. Senator.		Amasa Learned (New London)	Pro-Admin	Elected to finish Sherman's term. Re-elected in 1792. Retired.
3rd	March 4, 1793 – March 3, 1795									Joshua Coit (New London)	Pro-Admin	Elected in 1792. Re-elected in 1794. Re-elected in 1796. Died.										Zephaniah Swift (Windham)	Pro-Admin	Elected in 1792. Re-elected in 1794. Re-elected in 1796 but declined to serve.		Uriah Tracy (Litchfield)	Pro-Admin	Elected in 1792. Re-elected in 1794. Resigned when elected U.S. Senator.
4th	March 4, 1795 – April 13, 1795		Federalist			Chauncey Goodrich (Hartford)	Federalist	Elected in 1794. Re-elected in 1796. Re-elected in 1798. Lost re-election.			Federalist			Vacant				Nathaniel Smith (Woodbury)	Federalist	Elected in 1794. Elected in 1796. Lost re-election.			Federalist				Federalist
	April 13, 1795 – October 13, 1796													Roger Griswold (Lyme)	Federalist	Elected to finish Trumbull's term. Re-elected in 1796. Re-elected in 1798. Re-elected in 1800. Re-elected in 1802. Re-elected in 1804 but resigned.
	October 13, 1796 – December 5, 1796																									Vacant
	December 5, 1796 – January 3, 1797	James Davenport (Stamford)	Federalist	Elected to finish Hillhouse's term, having already been elected to the next term, see below. Elected in 1796. Died.
	January 3, 1797 – March 3, 1797																									Samuel W. Dana (Middletown)	Federalist	Elected to finish Tracy's term. Re-elected in 1796. Re-elected in 1798. Re-elected in 1800. Re-elected in 1802. Re-elected in 1804. Re-elected in 1806. Re-elected in 1808. Resigned to become U.S. Senator.
5th	March 4, 1797 – August 3, 1797																					John Allen (Litchfield)	Federalist	Elected to finish Swift's term. Retired.
	August 3, 1797 – November 13, 1797	Vacant
	November 13, 1797 – September 5, 1798	William Edmond (Newtown)	Federalist	Elected to finish Davenport's term. Re-elected in 1798. Retired.
	September 5, 1798 – December 3, 1798									Vacant
	December 3, 1798 – March 3, 1799									Jonathan Brace (Hartford)	Federalist	Elected in 1798. Later elected to finish Coit's term. Resigned.
6th	March 4, 1799 – ?																	Elizur Goodrich (New Haven)	Federalist	Elected in 1798. Re-elected in 1800 but declined to serve.		John Davenport (Stamford)		Elected in 1798. Re-elected in 1800. Re-elected in 1802. Re-elected in 1804. Re-elected in 1806. Re-elected in 1808. Re-elected in 1810. Re-elected in 1812. Re-elected in 1814. Retired.
	? 1800 – November 17, 1800									Vacant
	November 17, 1800 – March 3, 1801									John Cotton Smith (Sharon)	Federalist	Elected to finish Brace's term. Elected in 1800 to the next term. Re-elected in 1802. Re-elected in 1804. Resigned.
7th	March 4, 1801 – May 14, 1801	Vacant				Elias Perkins (New London)	Federalist	Elected in 1800. Re-elected in 1802 but declined to serve.										Vacant
	May 14, 1801 – September 21, 1801																	Calvin Goddard (Plainfield)	Federalist	Elected to finish Goodrich's term. Re-elected in 1802. Re-elected in 1804 but resigned.
	September 21, 1801 – March 3, 1803	Benjamin Tallmadge (Litchfield)	Federalist	Elected to finish Edmond's term. Re-elected in 1802. Re-elected in 1804. Re-elected in 1806. Re-elected in 1808. Re-elected in 1810. Re-elected in 1812. Re-elected in 1814. Retired.
8th	March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1805					Simeon Baldwin (New Haven)	Federalist	Elected to finish Perkins's term. Retired.
9th	March 4, 1805 – ?before September 16, 1805					Jonathan O. Moseley (East Haddam)	Federalist	Elected in 1804. Re-elected in 1806. Re-elected in 1808. Re-elected in 1810. Re-elected in 1812. Re-elected in 1814. Re-elected in 1816. Re-elected in 1818 as a Democratic-Republican. Retired.
	?before September 16, 1805 – September 16, 1805													Vacant				Vacant
	September 16, 1805 – August 1806													Timothy Pitkin (Farmington)	Federalist	Elected to finish Griswold's term. Re-elected in 1806. Re-elected in 1808. Re-elected in 1810. Re-elected in 1812. Re-elected in 1814. Re-elected in 1816. Retired.		Lewis B. Sturges (Fairfield)	Federalist	Elected to finish Goddard's term. Re-elected in 1806. Re-elected in 1808. Re-elected in 1810. Re-elected in 1812. Re-elected in 1814. Lost re-election.
	August 1806 – December 1, 1806									Vacant
	December 1, 1806 – March 3, 1807									Theodore Dwight (Hartford)	Federalist	Elected to finish Smith's term. Retired.
10th	March 4, 1807 – March 3, 1809									Epaphroditus Champion (East Haddam)	Federalist	Elected in 1806. Re-elected in 1808. Re-elected in 1810. Re-elected in 1812. Re-elected in 1814. Lost re-election.
11th	March 4, 1809 – May 10, 1810
	May 10, 1810 – October 11, 1810																									Vacant
	October 11, 1810 – March 3, 1811																									Ebenezer Huntington (Norwich)	Federalist	Elected September 17, 1810, to finish Dana's term (seated October 11, 1810). Not also elected to the next term.
12th	March 4, 1811 – March 3, 1813																									Lyman Law (New London)	Federalist	Elected in 1810. Re-elected in 1812. Re-elected in 1814. Lost re-election.
13th	March 4, 1813 – March 3, 1815
14th	March 4, 1815 – March 3, 1817
15th	March 4, 1817 – ? 1818	Thomas Scott Williams (Hartford)	Federalist	Elected in 1816. Retired.						Uriel Holmes (Litchfield)	Federalist	Elected in 1816. Resigned.						Samuel B. Sherwood (Saugatuck)	Federalist	Elected in 1816. Retired.		Nathaniel Terry (Hartford)	Federalist	Elected to finish the term of member-elect Charles Dennison, who had declined the seat. Retired.		Ebenezer Huntington (Norwich)	Federalist	Elected to finish the term of member-elect Sylvanus Backus, who had died. Retired.
	? 1818 – November 16, 1818									Vacant
	November 16, 1818 – March 3, 1819									Sylvester Gilbert (Hebron)	Democratic-Republican	Elected to finish Holmes's term. Was not elected to the next term.
16th	March 4, 1819 – March 3, 1821	Gideon Tomlinson (Fairfield)	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1818. Re-elected in 1821. Re-elected in 1823. Re-elected in 1825. Retired.			Democratic-Republican			Samuel A. Foot (Cheshire)	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1818. Lost re-election.		John Russ (Hartford)	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1818. Re-elected in 1821. Lost re-election.		James Stevens (Stamford)	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1818. Retired.		Elisha Phelps (Simsbury)	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1818. Lost re-election.		Henry W. Edwards (New Haven)	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1818. Re-elected in 1821. Lost re-election.
17th	March 4, 1821 – March 3, 1823					Ansel Sterling (Sharon)	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1821. Re-elected in 1823. Retired.		Daniel Burrows (Hebron)	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1821. Lost re-election.						Noyes Barber (Groton)	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1821. Re-elected in 1823. Re-elected in 1825. Re-elected in 1827. Re-elected in 1829. Re-elected in 1831. Re-elected in 1833. Lost re-election.		Ebenezer Stoddard (Woodstock)	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1821. Re-elected in 1823. Retired.
18th	March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825									Samuel A. Foot (Cheshire)	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1823. Lost re-election.		Lemuel Whitman (Farmington)	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1823. Retired.										Seat eliminated in 1823.
19th	March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1827		Anti-Jacksonian			John Baldwin (Windham)	Anti-Jacksonian	Elected in 1825. Re-elected in 1827. Retired.		Ralph I. Ingersoll (New Haven)	Anti-Jacksonian	Elected in 1825. Re-elected in 1827. Re-elected in 1829. Re-elected in 1831. Retired.		Orange Merwin (New Milford)	Anti-Jacksonian	Elected in 1825. Re-elected in 1827. Lost re-election.			Anti-Jacksonian			Elisha Phelps (Simsbury)	Anti-Jacksonian	Elected in 1825. Re-elected in 1827. Lost re-election.
20th	March 4, 1827 – March 3, 1829	David Plant (Stratford)	Anti-Jacksonian	Elected in 1827. Retired.
21st	March 4, 1829 – March 3, 1831	William W. Ellsworth (Hartford)	Anti-Jacksonian	Elected in 1829. Re-elected in 1831. Re-elected in 1833. Resigned.		Jabez W. Huntington (Litchfield)	Anti-Jacksonian	Elected in 1829. Re-elected in 1831. Re-elected in 1833. Resigned to become judge of the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors.						Ebenezer Young (Killingly Center)	Anti-Jacksonian	Elected in 1829. Re-elected in 1831. Re-elected in 1833. Lost re-election.						William L. Storrs (Middletown)	Anti-Jacksonian	Elected in 1829. Re-elected in 1831. [data missing]
22nd	March 4, 1831 – March 3, 1833
23rd	March 4, 1833 – May 9, 1834									Samuel A. Foot (Cheshire)	Anti-Jacksonian	Elected in 1833. Resigned to become Governor of Connecticut.										Samuel Tweedy (Danbury)	Anti-Jacksonian	Elected in 1833. Lost re-election.
	May 9, 1834 – July 8, 1834									Vacant
	July 8, 1834 – August 16, 1834	Vacant
	August 16, 1834 – December 1, 1834					Vacant
	December 1, 1834 – March 3, 1835	Joseph Trumbull (Hartford)	Anti-Jacksonian	Elected to finish Ellsworth's term. Lost re-election.		Phineas Miner (Litchfield)	Anti-Jacksonian	Elected to finish Huntington's term. Retired.		Ebenezer Jackson Jr. (Middletown)	Anti-Jacksonian	Elected to finish Huntington's term. Lost re-election.
24th	March 4, 1835 – December 10, 1835	Isaac Toucey (Hartford)	Jacksonian	Elected in 1835. Redistricted to the 1st district.		Samuel Ingham (Saybrook)	Jacksonian	Elected in 1835. Redistricted to the 2nd district.		Elisha Haley (Mystic)	Jacksonian	Elected in 1835. Redistricted to the 3rd district.		Zalmon Wildman (Danbury)	Jacksonian	Elected in 1835. Died.		Lancelot Phelps (Hitchcockville)	Jacksonian	Elected in 1835. Redistricted to the 5th district.		Andrew T. Judson (Canterbury)	Jacksonian	Elected in 1835. Resigned to become U.S. District Judge.
	December 10, 1835 – April 29, 1836													Vacant
	April 29, 1836 – July 4, 1836													Thomas T. Whittlesey (Danbury)	Jacksonian	Elected to finish Wildman's term. Redistricted to the 4th district.
	July 4, 1836 – December 5, 1836																					Vacant
	December 5, 1836 – March 3, 1837																					Orrin Holt (Willington)	Jacksonian	Elected to finish Judson's term. Redistricted to the 6th district.

In 1837, Connecticut abandoned general tickets and adopted districts instead.

1903–1913: one seat

In 1903, one at-large seat was created, four district seats continued.

Member	Party	Years	Cong ress(es)	Electoral history
At-large seat created March 4, 1903
George L. Lilley (Waterbury)	Republican	March 4, 1903 – January 5, 1909	58th 59th 60th	Elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Re-elected in 1906. Resigned when elected Governor of Connecticut.
Vacant		January 5, 1909 – March 3, 1909	60th
John Q. Tilson (New Haven)	Republican	March 4, 1909 – March 3, 1913	61st 62nd	Elected in 1908. Re-elected in 1910. Redistricted to the 3rd district and lost re-election.
At-large seat eliminated March 3, 1913

1933–1965: one seat

In 1933, one at-large seat was created, five district seats continued.

Representative	Party	Years	Cong ress(es)	Electoral history
Charles Montague Bakewell (New Haven)	Republican	March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935	73rd	Elected in 1932. Lost re-election.
William M. Citron (Middletown)	Democratic	January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1939	74th 75th	Elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Lost re-election.
B. J. Monkiewicz (New Britain)	Republican	January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1941	76th	Elected in 1938. Lost re-election.
Lucien J. Maciora (New Britain)	Democratic	January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1943	77th	Elected in 1940. Lost re-election.
B. J. Monkiewicz (New Britain)	Republican	January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1945	78th	Elected in 1942. Lost re-election.
Joseph F. Ryter (Hartford)	Democratic	January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1947	79th	Elected in 1944. Lost re-election.
Antoni Sadlak (Rockville)	Republican	January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1959	80th 81st 82nd 83rd 84th 85th	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.
Frank Kowalski (Meriden)	Democratic	January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1963	86th 87th	Elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Retired to run for U.S. senator.
Bernard F. Grabowski (Bristol)	Democratic	January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1965	88th	Elected in 1962. Redistricted to the 6th district.
At-large district eliminated

References

• "Our Campaigns - United States - Connecticut - CT At-Large". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

1. "Connecticut 1790 U.S. House of Representatives". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 4, 2018., citing The Connecticut Gazette (New London, CT). October 22, 1790.