Incredible to realize that Shays remains the last elected House Republican in the entire New England area. Of course, we still have 4 Republican Senators + Lieberman (whom was elected with GOP help). I think we’ll get a few seats back next year, although likely just in NH (possibly 1 in CT, the Nancy Johnson seat).
I checked to see when was the last time we held a majority of New England House seats, and it was 1956, you can see the decline since that period from 1953-on (and the overall number of seats have declined from 28 to 22):
2007- (1R/21D)
2003-2007 (5R/16D/1Prog) (22, 2003-
2001-2003 (5R/17D/1Prog)
1997-2001 (4R/18D/1Prog)
1993-1997 (8R/14D/1Prog) (23, 1993-2003)
1991-1993 (7R/16D/1Prog)
1989-1991 (10R/14D)
1987-1989 (9R/15D)
1985-1987 (10R/14D)
1983-1985 (8R/16D) (24, 1983-1993)
1981-1983 (9R/16D)
1979-1981 (7R/18D)
1975-1979 (8R/17D)
1973-1975 (10R/15D)
1971-1973 (9R/16D)
1969-1971 (10R/15D)
1967-1969 (9R/16D)
1965-1967 (8R/17D)
1963-1965 (11R/14D) (25, 1963-1983)
1961-1963 (14R/14D) *tied
1959-1961 (9R/19D)
1955-1959 (18R/10D) *last GOP majority in New England elected in 1956
1953-1955 (19R/9D) (28, 1953-1963)
By state: (*denotes a GOP majority delegation)
Connecticut
2007- (1R/4D)
2003-07 (*3R/2D)
2001-03 (3R/3D)
1997-2001 (2R/4D)
1985-97 (3R/3D)
1981-85 (2R/4D)
1979-81 (1R/5D)
1975-79 (2R/4D)
1973-75 (3R/3D)
1971-73 (2R/4D)
1970-71 (3R/3D)
1969-70 (2R/4D)
1967-69 (1R/5D)
1965-67 (0R/6D)
1963-65 (1R/5D)
1961-63 (2R/4D)
1959-61 (0R/6D)
1957-59 (*6R/0D)
1953-57 (*5R/1D)
Maine
1997-on (0R/2D)
1987-97 (1R/1D)
1975-87 (*2R/0D)
1973-75 (1R/1D)
1967-73 (0R/2D)
1965-67 (1R/1D)
1963-65 (*2R/0D)
1961-63 (*3R/0D)
1959-61 (1R/2D)
1957-59 (*2R/1D)
1937-57 (*3R/0D)
Massachusetts
1997-on (0R/10D)
1993-97 (2R/8D)
Spring 1991-93 (0R/11D)
1983-Spring 91 (1R/10D)
1975-83 (2R/10D)
1973-75 (3R/9D)
early 1969-73 (4R/8D)
1963-early 69 (5R/7D)
1959-63 (6R/8D)
1955-59 (7R/7D)
1953-55 (*8R/6D)
New Hampshire
2007- (0R/2D)
1995-2007 (*2R/0D)
1991-95 (1R/1D)
1985-91 (*2R/0D)
1975-85 (1R/1D)
1967-75 (*2R/0D)
1965-67 (1R/1D)
1939-65 (*2R/0D)
Rhode Island
1995-on (0R/2D)
1991-95 (1R/1D)
1989-91 (*2R/0D)
1981-89 (1R/1D)
1941-81 (0R/2D)
Vermont
2007- (1D)
1991-2007 (1 Prog)
1961-91 (*1R)
1959-61 (1D)
1933-59 (*1R)
Nice research, DJ, thanks!
21-1 is a staggering number. IMHO, and I say this not as a conservative partisan but as an American, it does not serve the best interests of the nation for any one party to have such a near-monopoly. If they prefer center-left up there fine - I strongly disagree - but at least take the time when the opportunity presents itself to elect a ‘decent’ centrist like Ogonowski, instead of a former politician’s widow running on name recognition and a rather dispositive and cynical platform. It’s a shame - Ogonowski would’ve creamed her in a year like ‘94 or ‘02.
I knew the 1958 midterm elections had been devastating for the GOP, but surely a stronger word must be used to describe the election’s effect in the CT House delegation. From 6 Republicans and 0 Democrats to 0 Republicans and 6 Democrats in a single election? Talk about a b*tch-slapping. That’s even worse than the 1934 House election results from PA.
I agree that, on paper, the old Nancy Johnson seat (which gave President Bush 49% in 2004) presents our best chance to win back New England House seats outside of the two NH seats (which are eminently winnable for us, especially the NH-01 that gave President Bush 51% in 2004 and is held by the moonbat Shea-Porter). However, the Democrat holding the seat, Chris Murphy, used to hold an even more Republican state senate seat, and the fact that he defeated Nancy Johnson by a whopping 12% despite being outspent 2:1 makes me think that he will be tough to beat in 2008.