Connecticut at a Glance State Profile - Gov. Rowland (R) - Sen. Dodd (D) - Sen. Lieberman (D) Presidential Politics Congressional Districting - 01 - Larson (D) - 02 - Simmons (R) - 03 - DeLauro (D) - 04 - Shays (R) - 05 - Johnson (R) Almanac 2004 Home - States & Districts - Elected Officials - Committees - Election Cycles - Guide To Usage Almanac 2002 Almanac 2000 Almanac 1998 For district profiles and additional information on the elected officials of Connecticut, please use the pull-down menu above.

Why does the nation's highest income state vote Democratic for president? Because liberal stands on cultural issues have trumped the hunger for tax cuts among most of these often cynical voters; because most people here regard themselves as members of ethnic groups with a historic Democratic heritage; because, in 2000, Connecticut's own Joe Lieberman was on the Democratic ticket. Here, the Gore-Lieberman ticket ran well ahead of Clinton-Gore. Over the years Connecticut has oscillated between the parties, moving toward Republicans in the 1970s and 1980s as cultural conflicts split the old Democratic majority, moving toward Democrats in the 1990s in response to the 1990-91 recession and also out of increasing distaste for Southern-accented Republican conservatism. Connecticut has had little appetite for either Jimmy Carter or George W. Bush.

Connecticut's presidential primary, though held fairly early in the process, has not been quite early enough and has made little difference. Gary Hart won here in 1984, Jerry Brown in 1992; but they fared no better than the Federalists Connecticut favored in 1816. In 2000 the pattern continued: John McCain won here, as elsewhere in New England, and Al Gore beat Bill Bradley by a comparatively close 56%-41%. But the results helped the McCain and Bradley campaigns not at all.

2000 Presidential Vote
Gore (D)	816,015	(56%)
Bush (R)	561,094	(38%)
Nader (Green)	64,452	(4%)
Other	17,920	(1%)

2000 Republican Primary
McCain (R)	87,270	(49%)
Bush (R)	82,871	(46%)
Other	8,920	(5%)

2000 Democratic Primary
Gore (D)	99,563	(56%)
Bradley (D)	74,075	(41%)
Other	5,418	(3%)

1996 Presidential Vote
Clinton (D)	735,740	(53%)
Dole (R)	483,109	(35%)
Perot (I)	139,523	(10%)
Other	34,237	(2%)

For 1992 and 1996 presidential results in Connecticut, please see the Almanac 2000 online.