The Connecticut State House of Representatives is the
lower house
A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...
in the
Connecticut General Assembly
The Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is a bicameral body composed of the 151-member House of Representatives and the 36-member Senate. It meets in the state capital, Hartford. Th ...
, the
state legislature
A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system.
Two federations literally use the term "state legislature":
* The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...
of the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
. The house is composed of 151 members representing an equal number of districts, with each constituency containing nearly 22,600 residents. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no
term limits
A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potenti ...
.
The House convenes within the
Connecticut State Capitol
The Connecticut State Capitol is located north of Capitol Avenue and south of Bushnell Park in Hartford, the capital of Connecticut. The building houses the Connecticut General Assembly; the upper house, the State Senate, and lower house, the Hous ...
in
Hartford
Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...
.
History
The House of Representatives has its basis in the earliest incarnation of the General Assembly, the "General Corte" established in 1636 whose membership was divided between six generally elected magistrates (the predecessor of the Connecticut Senate) and three-member "committees" representing each of the three towns of the
Connecticut Colony
The ''Connecticut Colony'' or ''Colony of Connecticut'', originally known as the Connecticut River Colony or simply the River Colony, was an English colony in New England which later became Connecticut. It was organized on March 3, 1636 as a settl ...
(
Hartford
Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...
Windsor
Windsor may refer to:
Places Australia
* Windsor, New South Wales
** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area
* Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland
**Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...
). The
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
The Fundamental Orders were adopted by the Connecticut Colony council on . The fundamental orders describe the government set up by the Connecticut River towns, setting its structure and powers. They wanted the government to have access to the op ...
, adopted in 1639, replaced the committees with deputies; each town would elect three or four deputies for six-month terms. Although the magistrates and deputies sat together, they voted separately and in 1645 it was decreed that a measure had to have the approval of both groups in order to pass. The Charter of 1662 reduced the number of deputies per town to no more than two, and also changed the title of the legislature to the General Assembly. It was in 1698 that the General Assembly divided itself into its current bicameral form, with the twelve assistants (that replaced the magistrates) as the Council (which became the Senate in the 1818 constitution) and the deputies as the House of Representatives, which began electing the Speaker to preside over it. The terms of representatives were raised to two years in 1884.''Under the Gold Dome: An Insider's Look at the Connecticut Legislature'', by Judge Robert Satter. New Haven: Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, 2004, pp. 16–27.
Leadership of the House
The
Speaker of the House
The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England.
Usage
The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...
presides over the House of Representatives. The Speaker is elected by the majority party caucus followed by confirmation of the full House through the passage of a House resolution. In addition to presiding over the body, the Speaker is also its chief leadership position and controls the flow of legislation and committee assignments. Other House leaders, such as the
majority
A majority, also called a simple majority or absolute majority to distinguish it from #Related terms, related terms, is more than half of the total.Dictionary definitions of ''majority'' aMerriam-Websterminority leaders, are elected by their respective party caucuses relative to their party's strength in the chamber.
The current
Speaker
Speaker may refer to:
Society and politics
* Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly
* Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture
* A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially:
** I ...
is
Matthew Ritter
Matthew Delis Ritter is an American lawyer and Democratic politician from Connecticut. He is currently the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives and represents the first district.
Personal life
Ritter was born in Hartford, Connecti ...
of the 1st House District the includes part of
Hartford
Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...
. The Majority Leader is
Jason Rojas
Jason Rojas (born 1976) is an American politician who is a five term Democratic member of the Connecticut House of Representatives, serving since 2008. He represents parts of East Hartford and Manchester, composing Connecticut's 9th assembly dis ...
of the 9th House District which includes part of
East Hartford
East Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 51,045 at the 2020 census. The town is located on the east bank of the Connecticut River, directly across from Hartford, Connecticut. It is home to aerospac ...
and part of
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
Vincent Candelora
Vincent J. Candelora is an American businessman, lawyer, and politician. Candelora is the State Representative for the 86th House District and also serves as the Republican Minority Leader in the Connecticut House of Representatives.
Education ...
of the 86th House District that includes part of
Durham Durham most commonly refers to:
*Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham
*County Durham, an English county
*Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States
*Durham, North Carolina, a city in No ...
, part of
Guilford
Guildford is a town in Surrey, England. It gives its name to the Borough of Guildford, the Diocese of Guildford and the Parliamentary constituency of Guildford.
Guildford, Guilford, or Gildford may also refer to:
Places
Australia
* Guildfor ...
Current members of the Connecticut House of Representatives, .
Past composition of the House of Representatives
Notable former House members
1700s
*
Jonathan Trumbull
Jonathan Trumbull Sr. (October 12, 1710August 17, 1785) was an American politician and statesman who served as Governor of Connecticut during the American Revolution. Trumbull and Nicholas Cooke of Rhode Island were the only men to serve as gov ...
, Governor of Connecticut Colony, Governor of Connecticut
*
Roger Sherman
Roger Sherman (April 19, 1721 – July 23, 1793) was an American statesman, lawyer, and a Founding Father of the United States. He is the only person to sign four of the great state papers of the United States related to the founding: the Cont ...
, First Mayor of
New Haven
New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...
, Constitutional Signatory, United States Congressman, United States Senator
* Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. Aide-de-camp to General Washington, Congressman, US Senator, 20th Governor of Connecticut
*
Jeremiah Wadsworth
Jeremiah Wadsworth (July 12, 1743 – April 30, 1804) was an American sea captain, merchant, and statesman from Hartford, Connecticut who profited from his position as a government official charged with supplying the Continental Army. He re ...
Gideon Tomlinson
Gideon Tomlinson (December 31, 1780 – October 8, 1854) was a United States senator, United States Representative, and the 25th Governor for the state of Connecticut.
Biography
Born in Stratford, Tomlinson completed preparatory studies and ...
, Congressman, US Senator, 25th Governor of Connecticut
*
Noah Webster
Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5– ...
, Dictionary author and educator
* Henry W. Edwards, Congressman, US Senator, 27th and 29th Governor of Connecticut
*
Samuel A. Foot
Samuel Augustus Foot (November 8, 1780 – September 15, 1846; his surname is also spelled Foote) was the List of Governors of Connecticut, 28th Governor of Connecticut as well as a United States representative and United States Senator, Sen ...
, Congressman, US Senator, 28th Governor of Connecticut
*
Isaac Toucey
Isaac Toucey (November 15, 1792July 30, 1869) was an American politician who served as a U.S. senator, U.S. Secretary of the Navy, U.S. Attorney General and the 33rd Governor of Connecticut.
Biography
Born in Newtown, Connecticut, Toucey pur ...
, Congressman, US Senator, United States Attorney General, Secretary of the Navy, 33rd Governor of Connecticut
*
William W. Eaton
William Wallace Eaton (October 11, 1816September 21, 1898) was a United States representative and United States senator from Connecticut.
Biography
Born in Tolland, Connecticut, he was educated in the common schools and by private instruction ...
, Congressman and US Senator
*
Marcus H. Holcomb
Marcus H. Holcomb (November 28, 1844 – March 5, 1932) was an American politician who served as the 66th governor of Connecticut, the attorney general of Connecticut, and as a member of the Connecticut Senate.
Biography
Holcomb was born in Ne ...
, Connecticut Attorney General, 66th Governor of Connecticut
*
Henry C. Deming
Henry Champion Deming (May 23, 1815 – October 8, 1872) was a politician and writer who served as U.S. Representative from Connecticut, the mayor Hartford, the acting military mayor of New Orleans, and a member of the Connecticut House of Repr ...
, Congressman, Mayor of
Hartford
Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...
, Commander of the
12th Connecticut Infantry Regiment
The 12th Connecticut Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Service
The 12th Connecticut Infantry Regiment was organized at Hartford, Connecticut, beginning November 19, 1861, and m ...
*
John T. Wait
John Turner Wait (August 27, 1811 – April 21, 1899) was a U.S. Representative from Connecticut.
Biography
Born in New London, Connecticut, Wait moved with his mother to Norwich, Connecticut. He attended the common schools and Trinity ...
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
recipient
*
Augustus Brandegee
Augustus Brandegee (July 12, 1828 – November 10, 1904) was an American lawyer and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut.
Early life
Brandegee was born in New London, Connecticut. He was the so ...
Congressman, Mayor of
New London
New London may refer to:
Places United States
*New London, Alabama
*New London, Connecticut
*New London, Indiana
*New London, Iowa
* New London, Maryland
*New London, Minnesota
*New London, Missouri
*New London, New Hampshire, a New England town
* ...
*
John Q. Tilson
John Quillin Tilson (April 5, 1866 – August 14, 1958) was an American politician. A Republican, he represented Connecticut in the United States House of Representatives for almost 22 years and was House Majority leader for 6 years.
Early life
...
, Congressman
*
E. Stevens Henry
Edward Stevens Henry (February 10, 1836 – October 10, 1921) was an American businessman and politician from Connecticut who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representative for Connecticut's 1st congressional distric ...
, Connecticut State Treasurer, Congressman
*
P.T. Barnum
Phineas Taylor Barnum (; July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, and politician, remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and founding the Barnum & Bailey Circus (1871–2017) with James Anthony Bailey. He was ...
, showman, politician, and businessman known for the
Barnum and Bailey Circus
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (also known as the Ringling Bros. Circus, Ringling Bros., the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey, or simply Ringling) is an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Ear ...
.
* Charles Phelps, lawyer, state legislator, Connecticut Secretary of State, and first Attorney General of Connecticut
1900s
*
Marcus H. Holcomb
Marcus H. Holcomb (November 28, 1844 – March 5, 1932) was an American politician who served as the 66th governor of Connecticut, the attorney general of Connecticut, and as a member of the Connecticut Senate.
Biography
Holcomb was born in Ne ...
, Attorney General of Connecticut, 66th Governor of Connecticut
* Everett J. Lake, 67th Governor of Connecticut
*
Raymond E. Baldwin
Raymond Earl Baldwin (August 31, 1893 – October 4, 1986) was an American politician who served as a United States senator from Connecticut and also as the 72nd and 74th Governor of Connecticut. A conservative Republican, he was elected governo ...
, Congressman, United States Senator, 72nd and 74th Governor of Connecticut, Chief Justice of the Connecticut Court of Errors, Chair of the 1965 Constitutional Convention
*
Emily Sophie Brown
Emily Sophie Brown (1881–1985) was an Americans, American politician who in 1920 became one of the first five women elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives. Brown subsequently served as a New Haven County, Connecticut, New Haven Cou ...
, one of the first women to be elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives
*
Abraham A. Ribicoff
Abraham Alexander Ribicoff (April 9, 1910 – February 22, 1998) was an American Democratic Party politician from the state of Connecticut. He represented Connecticut in the United States House of Representatives and Senate and was the 80th ...
, 80th Governor of Connecticut, United States Senator,
United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare
The United States secretary of health and human services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all health matters. The secretary is ...
*
John N. Dempsey
John Noel Dempsey (January 3, 1915 – July 16, 1989) was an American politician who was the 81st Governor of Connecticut. He was a Democrat, and began his political career at the age of 21 serving on the Putnam City Council. He later served as ...
, 81st Governor of Connecticut
*
William R. Ratchford
William Richard Ratchford (May 24, 1934 – January 2, 2011) was an American politician from Connecticut. He served six terms in the Connecticut House of Representatives, including two as speaker, and three terms in the United States House of Rep ...
, Congressman
*
Stewart McKinney (politician)
Stewart Brett McKinney (January 30, 1931 – May 7, 1987) was an American politician who represented Connecticut's 4th congressional district in the House of Representatives from 1971 until his death in 1987. He is perhaps best known for coin ...
, Congressman
*
Sam Gejdenson
Samuel Gejdenson (born May 20, 1948) is a former United States Representative for the 2nd Congressional District of Connecticut.
Biography
Born in a displaced persons camp in Eschwege, Allied-occupied Germany, Gejdenson was the child of a Bel ...
, Congressman
*
Ronald A. Sarasin
Ronald Arthur Sarasin (born December 31, 1934) is a former American politician from Connecticut. He served two terms in the Connecticut House of Representatives and three terms as a U.S. Representative.
Early life and career
Born in Fall River, ...
, Congressman
*
Ella T. Grasso
Ella Rosa Giovianna Oliva Grasso (née Tambussi; May 10, 1919 – February 5, 1981) was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as the 83rd Governor of Connecticut from January 8, 1975, to December 31, 1980, after re ...
, 83rd Governor of Connecticut
*
Barbara B. Kennelly
Barbara Bailey Kennelly (born Barbara Ann Bailey; born July 10, 1936) is an American politician. She is the former Democratic Party (United States), Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut.
Family and Educ ...
Sam Gejdenson
Samuel Gejdenson (born May 20, 1948) is a former United States Representative for the 2nd Congressional District of Connecticut.
Biography
Born in a displaced persons camp in Eschwege, Allied-occupied Germany, Gejdenson was the child of a Bel ...
, Congressman
*
John G. Rowland
John Grosvenor Rowland (born May 24, 1957) is an American politician, author, and convicted felon who served as the 86th Governor of Connecticut from 1995 to 2004. He served two nonconsecutive prison terms on various corruption charges. A Repu ...
, 86th Governor of Connecticut
*
Gary Franks
Gary Alvin Franks (born February 9, 1953) is an American politician who was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut for six years, from 1991 until 1997. He is the first African-American elected to the U.S. Congress from Con ...
, Congressman
*
Christopher Shays
Christopher Hunter Shays (born October 18, 1945) is an American politician. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives as representative of the 4th District of Connecticut. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Shays ...
, Congressman
2000s
*
Rob Simmons
Robert Ruhl "Rob" Simmons (born February 11, 1943) is an American politician and retired U.S. Army colonel who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2007, representing Connecticut's second congressional d ...
, Congressman
*
Jodi Rell
Mary Carolyn "Jodi" Rell (née Reavis; born June 16, 1946) is an American former Republican politician and the 87th governor of Connecticut from 2004 until 2011. Rell also served as the state's 105th lieutenant governor of Connecticut.
Rell was C ...
, 87th Governor of Connecticut
* Joe Courtney, Congressman
*
Richard Blumenthal
Richard Blumenthal (; born February 13, 1946) is an American lawyer and politician who is the senior United States senator from Connecticut, a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he is one of the wealthiest members of ...
, Connecticut Attorney General and US Senator
*
Chris Murphy
Christopher Scott Murphy (born August 3, 1973) is an American lawyer, author, and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Connecticut since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the United States Hou ...
, Congressman and US Senator
*
Elizabeth Esty
Elizabeth Esty (née Henderson; born August 25, 1959) is an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from from 2013 to 2019. A Democrat, she previously was a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives, represen ...
, Congresswoman
*
William Tong
William Morten Tong (born May 2, 1973) is an American lawyer and politician who is the 25th and current Attorney General of Connecticut. Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Tong attended Brown University and the University of Chicago Law School. He b ...
, Connecticut Attorney General
See also
*
Connecticut State Capitol
The Connecticut State Capitol is located north of Capitol Avenue and south of Bushnell Park in Hartford, the capital of Connecticut. The building houses the Connecticut General Assembly; the upper house, the State Senate, and lower house, the Hous ...
*
Connecticut General Assembly
The Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is a bicameral body composed of the 151-member House of Representatives and the 36-member Senate. It meets in the state capital, Hartford. Th ...
*
Connecticut Senate
The Connecticut State Senate is the upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The state senate comprises 36 members, each representing a district with around 99,280 inhabitants. Sena ...
*
List of members of the Connecticut General Assembly from Norwalk
This is a list of members of the Connecticut General Assembly from Norwalk, Connecticut since the founding of the settlement in 1651 to the present.
Seventeenth century
Eighteenth century
Nineteenth century
Twentieth century
Crea ...
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...