Connecticut’s General Assembly will have a different look after the next election.
Redistricting takes place every 10 years, based on census data and population shifts.
Unlike many states, Connecticut’s reapportionment is done by a panel of 2 Democrats and 2 Republicans. If they can’t agree, a 5th objective member is added. This year, that was unneeded.
Current plans — which will be finalized soon — change district lines for the 2 state senators and 2 representatives who now serve parts of Westport.
Senator Will Haskell’s 26th District currently runs far north. He’ll lose Bethel, but gain a slice of Stamford, connected by a bit of Darien and New Canaan.
The borders of State Representative Jonathan Steinberg’s 136th District have shifted slightly, though it continues to include only Westport. He’s lost some voters in the western part of town. His district still runs all the way to the Fairfield town line.
State Representative Stephanie Thomas’ Norwalk-based 143rd District has changed significantly. She gained some additional voters in Westport and a large number of new voters in Norwalk. They replace Wilton, which has become an entirely new district.
State Senator Tony Hwang’s 28th District has been pushed north, into Bethel. He’ll lose the Greens Farms section of Westport he now represents.
But, Hwang says, “I’ve worked with Jim Marpe, Jen Tooker and Andrea Moore, on projects like Coleytown Middle School and bridge repairs. I’ll always advocate for Westport. Please give my thanks to the terrific people of Westport I’ve been able to represent.”
(For more in-depth information on redistricting, click here, here, here and here. Hat tip: Peter Gold.)
I am disappointed that Sen. Tony Hwang no longer will be representing the Greens Farms area of Westport. Tony has been a good friend on many Westport issues, as he notes in his words. Westport’s loss is Bethel’s gain.
Don Bergmann
Tony’s representation of the Greens Farms section has given Westport a bipartisan flavor. And since one never knows when the political pendulum will swing from Democratic to Republican, having Tony as our state senator would give Westport a voice in Hartford.
That said, one can inquire why Greens Farms was carved out of Westport and given to Tony Hwang. If I recall correctly, in the previous redistricting, the state senator was John McKinney who lived in Greens Farms. To allow him to remain as a state senator, the redistricting panel put his home in the 28th Senatorial District.