The filing deadline for candidates running for Congress in Connecticut this year was June 7, 2022. Eleven candidates are running for Connecticut’s five U.S. House districts, including five Democrats and six Republicans. That’s 2.2 candidates per district, down from 2.6 in 2020 and 2018.
Here are some other highlights from this year’s filings:
- This is the first election to take place under new district lines following the 2020 census. Connecticut was apportioned five districts, the same number it was apportioned after the 2010 census.
- The 11 candidates running this year are the fewest since 2014, when 10 candidates ran, and down from 13 in 2020 and 2018.
- All incumbents are running for re-election, meaning there are no open seats this year. The 5th district is the only Connecticut U.S. House seat to have opened up this past decade. It was open in 2012 after incumbent Rep. Chris Murphy (D) decided to run for the U.S. Senate, and again in 2018 when incumbent Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D) did not file for re-election.
- The Republican primary in the 4th district is the only contested primary this year. That’s down from two in 2020 and 2018.
- No incumbents are facing primary challengers.
- Republican and Democratic candidates filed to run in all five districts, so no seats are guaranteed to either party this year.
Connecticut and three other states — Minnesota, Vermont, and Wisconsin — are holding primary elections on August 9, 2022. Winners in primary elections in Connecticut are determined via plurality vote, meaning that the candidate with the greatest number of votes wins the election even if he or she did not win an outright majority of votes cast.
Learn More
