Clay Cope's Goals for Fifth Congressional District

BETHEL, CT--

Second of a four-part series written by Scott Benjamin

Clay Cope, one of four candidates seeking the Republican nomination in the Fifth Congressional Distrit, said he agrees with Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton who told a Political Science class at Western Connecticut State University in 2013, that voters in the cities primarily have the same goals as the rest of the electorate – a good job, a safe neighborhood, a place for entertainment on Saturday night and a church to attend on Sunday.

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Since 2006, Democrats, first Chris Murphy of Cheshire, who is now in the U.S. Senate, and then Esty, have been able to win the five largest cities in the Fifth District – Waterbury, New Britain, Danbury, Meriden and Torrington, by a combined 15,000 votes or more.

Cope said it is “a goal” to do well in the cities. He said that he is familiar with the urban leaders from this part of the state through his work with the Western Connecticut Council of Governments regional planning agency, which includes Sherman and a host of other municipalities.

Former U.S. Rep. Chris Shays (R-4) of Bridgeport, said in a 2013 interview for a paper for a Political Science class at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury that although Republicans need to get more votes in the cities, which have largely fueled Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy’s two victories, the more effective formula would be to attract registered party members in the suburbs and rural towns who haven’t been going to the polls.

U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-5) of Cheshire was able to win Kent and Salisbury in Litchfield County’s Northwest Corner over former state Sen. Andrew Roraback of Goshen in 2012, even though he had represented them in the upper chamber for 12 years and added New Milford, Newtown and Simsbury to her suburban victory column in 2014.

However, the 2016 election might have some different characteristics.

Billionaire developer Donald Trump, the favorite to win the Republican presidential nomination, could boost GOP turnout in a presidential year. Usually Democratic turnout increases in Connecticut in the presidential balloting. The Democratic nominee has won Connecticut in each of the last six presidential elections.

Trump has attracted more Latino support in some early primary states than one of his principal rivals, U.S Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who is Hispanic. He also has taken different positions from congressional Republicans on free trade, funding for Planned Parenthood and spending for entitlement programs, which, if he captures the GOP nod, might broaden his appeal in the general election.

Additionally, Stephanie Piddock of Torrington, the Green Party candidate in the district, is an area coordinator for Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders and might take away votes that otherwise would go to Esty regardless of whether Sanders or former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton tops the Democratic ballot.

No Democrat has served more than three terms in the district since John Monagan of Waterbury, who had the seat from 1959 to 1973 when the district didn’t cover much of Litchfield County and the Farmington Valley.

However, Esty’s victory four years ago marked the first time in generations that the district transitioned between two Democrats. Over the last decade, the Democrats have had more success in the Fifth District than during any period since Monagan lost to Republican Ron Sarasin of Beacon Falls 44 years ago.

5th Congressional District Towns Include:

Avon, Goshen, Newtown, Southbury, Bethel, Harwinton, Norfolk, Thomaston, Bethlehem, Kent, North Canaan, Warren, Bridgewater, Litchfield, Plainville, Washington, Brookfield, Meriden, Plymouth, Watertown, Burlington, Middlebury, Roxbury, Wolcott, Canaan, Canton, Morris, Salisbury, Woodbury, Cheshire, New Britain, Sharon, Torrington, Cornwall, New Fairfield, Sherman, Waterbury, Danbury, New Milford, Simsbury and Farmington.

Image via "Clay for Congress" Facebook page