LEGISLATORS SERVING DIFFERENT DISTRICTS

OLR Research Report


December 9, 2002		2002-R-0912
LEGISLATORS SERVING DIFFERENT DISTRICTS
By: Mary M. Janicki, Assistant Director Tangy Stroman, Legislative Secretary

You asked us to identify any Connecticut state legislators who have served during their legislative careers in districts designated with three different numbers.

SUMMARY

Until relatively recently, members of the state House of Representatives represented the people in towns, not districts. Since the 1960's court cases that imposed the principle of "one person, one vote," members were elected from districts of approximately equal population that have a numeric designation. The January 1967 regular session was the first in which its members were elected by district. In the history of the General Assembly, some members have represented more than one district, because a member moved or, as has been more frequently the case, because a district boundary and number changed as a result of decennial redistricting.

Only one representative, Robert T. Keeley, Jr. of Bridgeport, has represented three different districts: the 126^th from 1983-1991; the 125^th from 1993-2003; and the 129^th for the term beginning January 8, 2003.

One hundred and three people have represented two different districts.

· Representative Casey Daley of Bridgeport served nonconsecutive terms in two districts, representing the 124^th in 1981-1983 and the 129^th in 1985-1987.

· Representative Lucien DiMeo of Hamden served nonconsecutive terms in two districts, representing the 98^th in 1971-1973 and the 103^rd in 1993-1997.

· Representative Terry P. McGovern of Bridgeport served nonconsecutive terms in two districts, representing the 138^th in 1967-1971 and the 130^th in 1975-1977.

· Representative Richard Torpey of East Hartford served nonconsecutive terms in two districts, representing the 15^th in 1967-1969 and the 11^th in 1981-1991.

· One legislator, Representative Brendan Sharkey, in addition to Representative Keeley, currently holds office and was elected to serve in the 2003 General Assembly representing a district with a different number, after adoption of the 2001 redistricting plan.

· Three incumbent legislators served in districts with two different numbers before and after adoption of the 1991 redistricting plan.

· Seven incumbent legislators served in districts with two different numbers before and after adoption of the 1981 redistricting plan.

· Eight-eight incumbent legislators served in districts with two different numbers before and after adoption of the 1971 redistricting plan.

There was a significant realignment and renumbering of districts in the 1971 plan when the size of the House was reduced from 177 districts to 151.

LEGISLATORS WHO HAVE SERVED IN DISTRICTS WITH TWO DIFFERENT NUMBERS

Subsequent to the 2001 Plan of Redistricting, two incumbent members of the new General Assembly convening on January 8, 2003, will have served in different districts: Representative Keeley (noted above) and Representative Brendan Sharkey who served the 103^rd district in the 2001 biennium and will serve the 88^th district in the new legislature.

The three legislators listed in Table 1 served in districts with different numbers in 1991 and 1993 after redistricting.

Table 1: Legislators Who Served in Two Different Districts

After 1991

*Name*	*Town*	*Term*	*District*
Curtis D. Andrews, Jr.	Hamden	1991 1993	88 87
John W. Fonfara	Hartford	1991 1993	4 6
Alex A. Knopp	Norwalk	1991 1993	139 137

The district numbers of the seven House members listed in Table 2 changed with the 1981 redistricting plan.

Table 2: Legislators Who Served in Two Different Districts

After 1981

*Name*	*Town*	*Term*	*District*
Arthur A. Brouillet	Hartford	1981 1983	2 3
Abraham L. Giles	Hartford	1981 1983	4 6
Anthony R. Innacell	Bridgeport	1981 1983	128 127
Felix J. Karsky	Hartford	1981 1983	1 4
Carrie S. Perry	Hartford	1981 1983	8 7
Thomas D. Ritter	Hartford	1981 1983	6 2
Vincent A. Roberti	Bridgeport	1981 1983	126 128

Eighty-eight House members' district numbers changed with the 1971 redistricting plan. The size of the House was reduced by the redistricting plan from 177 in 1971 to 151 in 1973, where it has remained. Table 3 lists the name and town of those members and the districts they served in 1971 and 1973.

Table 3: Legislators Who Served in Two Different Districts

After 1971

*Name*	*Town*	*Term*	*District*
Carl R. Ajello	Ansonia	1971 1973	118 104
Robert A. Argazzi	Kensington	1971 1973	25 30
Bernard P. Auger	Putnam	1971 1973	55 51
Bernard L. Avcollie	Naugatuck	1971 1973	94 70
Dominic J. Badolato	New Britain	1971 1973	30 23
Ronald E. Bard	Norwalk	1971 1973	145 138
Audrey P. Beck	Storrs	1971 1973	50 54
James F. Bingham	Stamford	1971 1973	157 147
Morton J. Blumenthal	Danielson	1971 1973	56 50
Addo E. Bonetti	Torrington	1971 1973	175 65
Herbert V. Camp, Jr.	Ridgefield	1971 1973	163 111
Robert J. Carragher	Hartford	1971 1973	2 5
Francis W. Ciampi	Waterbury	1971 1973	89 76
Ruth H. Clark	Branford	1971 1973	101 102
James J. Clynes	Southington	1971 1973	27 81
Joseph S. Coatsworth	Cromwell	1971 1973	76 32
Morris N. Cohen	Bloomfield	1971 1973	41 17
Francis J. Collins	Brookfield Center	1971 1973	165 107
Michael R. Colucci	Waterbury	1971 1973	88 71

Table 3: Legislators Who Served in Two Different Districts

After 1971

-Continued-

*Name*	*Town*	*Term*	*District*
James S. Connery	Shelton	1971 1973	123 113
Virginia M. Connolly	Simsbury	1971 1973	39 16
Albert W. Cretella, Jr.	North Haven	1971 1973	99 87
Howard E. Crouch	Stonington	1971 1973	64 43
Sarah Frances Curtis	Newton	1971 1973	164 106
Richard A. Dice	Cheshire	1971 1973	83 89
John D'Onofrio	Bridgeport	1971 1973	137 127
Thomas H. Dooley	Vernon	1971 1973	47 56
Raymond J. Dzialo	Middletown	1971 1973	74 33
Richard B. Edwards	Stamford	1971 1973	155 146
Donald F. Esposito	Danbury	1971 1973	168 110
John A. Fabrizio	Norwalk	1971 1973	147 140
Leo H. Flynn	Taftville	1971 1973	61 47
Abijah U. Fox	Greenwich	1971 1973	152 149
Gennaro W. Frate	Darien	1971 1973	150 141
Donald S. Genovesi	Manchester	1971 1973	18 12
Eliose B. Green	Southbury	1971 1973	93 69
Joseph Gregorzek	New Britain	1971 1973	28 24
Mary Griswold	New Haven	1971 1973	109 98
John G. Groppo	Winsted	1971 1973	176 63
George W. Hannon, Jr.	East Hartford	1971 1973	16 10

Table 3: Legislators Who Served in Two Different Districts

After 1971

-Continued-

*Name*	*Town*	*Term*	*District*
Astrid T. Hanzalek	Suffield	1971 1973	40 61
Harold G. Harlow	Litchfield	1971 1973	172 66
James T. Healey	Waterbury	1971 1973	87 72
Leon F. Hermanowski	New Britain	1971 1973	31 26
Earl T. Holdsworth	Trumbull	1971 1973	125 123
George A. Johnson, Jr.	Monroe	1971 1973	124 112
Thomas M. Kablik	Wethersfield	1971 1973	22 29
Edgar A. King	Farmington	1971 1973	37 21
Howard M. Klebanoff	Hartford	1971 1973	9 8
Paul A. LaRosa	Hartford	1971 1973	4 3
Samuel Liskov	Bridgeport	1971 1973	135 131
Peter F. Locke, Jr.	Stafford Springs	1971 1973	49 52
Francis J. Mahoney	Manchester	1971 1973	19 13
John G. Matthews	New Canaan	1971 1973	161 143
John D. McHugh	Orange	1971 1973	117 114
Dorothy R. Miller	Bolton	1971 1973	51 55
Bruce L. Morris	New Haven	1971 1973	111 94
Julius D. Morris	New Britain	1971 1973	32 25
Elmer A. Mortensen	Newington	1971 1973	24 27
Nicholas M. Motto	Hartford	1971 1973	3 2
David H. Neiditz	West Hartford	1971 1973	12 18

Table 3: Legislators Who Served in Two Different Districts

After 1971

-Continued-

*Name*	*Town*	*Term*	*District*
Alan H. Nevas	Westport	1971 1973	144 136
Howard A. Newman	Norwalk	1971 1973	146 137
Ernest L. Nickols	Bridgeport	1971 1973	138 130
Thomas W. O'Dea	New Haven	1971 1973	105 96
William A. O'Neill	East Hampton	1971 1973	52 34
James J. Palmieri	Waterbury	1971 1973	90 74
Marilyn Pearson	Stratford	1971 1973	128 121
Joseph M. Pugliese	Plainville	1971 1973	33 22
William R. Ratchford	Danbury	1971 1973	167 109
Rufus C. Rose	Waterford	1971 1973	69 38
William A. Scully, Jr.	Waterbury	1971 1973	91 75
Sidney M. Sherer	Stamford	1971 1973	159 144
William J. Smyth	Stratford	1971 1973	129 120
Gerald F. Stevens	Milford	1971 1973	122 119
Irving J. Stolberg	New Haven	1971 1973	112 93
David J. Sullivan, Jr.	Bridgeport	1971 1973	130 124
Thomas F. Sweeney	Norwich	1971 1973	60 46
Jean T. Thornton	Glastonbury	1971 1973	21 31
John J. Tiffany, II	Lyme	1971 1973	70 36
Victor Tudan	Windsor	1971 1973	42 15
Gordon M. Vaill	Goshen	1971 1973	173 64

Table 3: Legislators Who Served in Two Different Districts

After 1971

-Continued-

*Name*	*Town*	*Term*	*District*
Rosario T. Vella	Enfield	1971 1973	44 59
Robert J. Vicino	Bristol	1971 1973	34 78
Albert R. Webber	New Haven	1971 1973	113 92
Harry W. Wenz	Fairfield	1971 1973	141 134
Richard C. Willard	East Hartford	1971 1973	15 11
Muriel T. Yacavone	East Hartford	1971 1973	17 9

MJ: ts