Connecticut Attorney General election, 2018

Elections in Connecticut, 2018

• General election: Nov. 6
• Voter registration deadline: Oct. 30 (by mail), or Nov. 6 (in-person)
• Early voting: N/A
• Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 5

• Online registration: Yes
• Same-day registration: Yes
• Voter ID: Non-photo ID required
• Poll times: 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

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On the ballot: U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Governor • Attorney General • Secretary of State • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Special state legislative • Local judges • State ballot measures • School boards • Democratic primaries • Republican primaries

2022 → ← 2014
Connecticut Attorney General
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: June 12, 2018
Primary: August 14, 2018 General: November 6, 2018 Pre-election incumbent(s): George C. Jepsen (Democrat)
How to vote
Poll times: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in Connecticut
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2018 Impact of term limits in 2018 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
Connecticut executive elections
Governor Lieutenant governor Attorney general Secretary of state Treasurer Comptroller

State Rep. William Tong (D) defeated state attorney Susan Hatfield (R) and attorney Peter Goselin (G) in the November 6, 2018, attorney general election in Connecticut. Incumbent George C. Jepsen (D) did not seek re-election after serving from 2010 to 2018.

Although the state had not had a Republican attorney general since 1959, this race was expected to be competitive according to Governing, which rated it Lean Democratic, due to Gov. Dannel Malloy's (D) low approval ratings. The attorney general race coincided with a competitive gubernatorial election to replace Malloy.

As a result of the 2018 elections, Democrats maintained triplex control in the state, meaning they held the offices of governor, attorney general, and secretary of state.

For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
For more information about the Republican primary, click here.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election

General election for Attorney General of Connecticut

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		William Tong (D)	52.5	715,340
		Susan Hatfield (R)	46.5	633,360
		Peter Goselin (G)	1.1	14,358

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,363,058
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Political party key:
Democratic
Republican
Green Party
Libertarian Party
Working Families Party
Independent Party

Fusion voting candidates

• William Tong
• Susan Hatfield

Democratic primary

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Attorney General of Connecticut

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		William Tong	57.4	119,574
		Chris Mattei	25.8	53,822
		Paul Doyle	16.7	34,822

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 208,218
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Clare Kindall (D)

Republican primary

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Attorney General of Connecticut

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Susan Hatfield	79.3	106,076
		John Shaban	20.7	27,639

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 133,715
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Candidate profiles

See also: Editorial approach to writing about key campaign messages

Peter Goselin, attorney

Party: Green

Incumbent: No

Political office: None

Biography: Goselin earned a juris doctorate from the University of Connecticut Law School in 1995. Goselin's career experience includes working as a labor and employment attorney representing individual employees and labor unions in Connecticut. He also worked with the Connecticut Employment Lawyers Association and with the National Lawyers Guild.

Key messages

• Goselin's campaign platform emphasized enforcing civil rights laws against any police departments that engage in racial profiling. He said the attorney general "should be at the forefront of the fight against racial profiling, police violence, the militarization of police departments, reliance on dangerous police tactics like high speed chases, and the over-policing of political dissent."

• Goselin also stated he wanted to remove any presence of Immigration Control and Enforcement (ICE) from the state's courts and schools. He said the attorney general "needs to go on the offensive and sue the federal government and its agents for terrorizing Connecticut residents."

Sue Hatfield, state prosecutor

Party: Republican

Incumbent: No

Political office: None

Biography: Hatfield received her B.S. in nursing from American International University, her J.D. from Stetson University, and her LL.M. from Georgetown University. Her professional experience includes working as a nurse, as a public finance attorney, and in the office of U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.). In 2005, she became a state prosecutor with the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice.

Key messages

• Hatfield said she was a prosecutor, not a professional politician, who would protect residents of Connecticut from child predators, drug pushers, and those who abuse power.

• Hatfield tied Tong to Gov. Dannel Malloy (D) and said Tong was overly concerned with national politics while she focused on Connecticut.

William Tong, state representative

Party: Democratic

Incumbent: No

Political office: Connecticut House of Representatives (Assumed office: 2009)

Biography: Tong received his B.S. from Brown University and his J.D. from the University of Chicago. His professional experience includes working as an associate at Finn Dixon and Herling, L.L.P. and Simpson Thacher and Bartlett, L.L.P. and a management consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Key messages

• Tong said he was a fighter who would take on President Donald Trump.

• Tong emphasized his record in the state legislature, saying he took on the National Rifle Association by passing stricter gun laws and the banking industry by protecting Connecticut families during the 2008 recession.

• Tong talked about being the son of Chinese immigrants and highlighted his opposition to the Trump administration's immigration policies, which he said would affect people like his parents.

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Know of a poll in this race? Email editor@ballotpedia.org.

Campaign finance

Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.

CCDL endorsement

On August 7, 2018, the Connecticut Citizens Defense League (CCDL) announced that it had rescinded its endorsement of Susan Hatfield (R) after she stated her opposition to the legality of blueprints allowing for the 3D printing of firearms. In its press release, the organization noted that despite the rescission of its endorsement it felt that Hatfield "would make a far better Attorney General than any of the other candidates in the race."

Hearst Connecticut Group editorial board

On November 1, 2018, the Hearst Connecticut Group editorial board endorsed Tong.

Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Susan Hatfield

Support

"Experience that Matters" - Hatfield campaign ad, released October 8, 2018

"Prosecutor" - Hatfield campaign ad, released July 31, 2018

William Tong

Support

"William Tong for Attorney General" - Tong campaign ad, released April 24, 2018

Check out our first television ad that began airing today. I will take on @realDonaldTrump as Connecticut's next Attorney General. pic.twitter.com/WlVSkh3WY3

— William Tong (@WilliamTongCT) July 20, 2018

Oppose

"The Choice" - Hatfield campaign ad, released October 9, 2018

"The Choice is Clear" - Hatfield campaign ad, released October 9, 2018

Debates and forums

• October 30, 2018: Hatfield, Tong, and Goselin met for a debate. View a video of the event here.

• October 17, 2018: Hatfield and Tong participated in a debate. See footage of the event here.

• October 16, 2018: Tong and Goselin participated in a candidate forum. See coverage of the event here.

• October 1, 2018: Hatfield and Tong participated in a debate. See coverage of the event here.

Campaign themes

William Tong

Tong’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Gun Violence As Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, William has primary responsibility for our state’s gun laws. William took on the NRA and the gun lobby and is one of the key architects of the strongest gun laws in the nation. He led the charge to pass Lori Jackson’s law that would take guns away from domestic abusers and is fighting to ban bump stocks and ghost guns. He also played a key role in the major overhaul of our state’s gun laws after the tragedy at Sandy Hook, and wrote and passed the Lost & Stolen Firearms laws to fight gun trafficking. As Attorney General, William will continue fighting for common sense gun laws. He will hold the gun lobby and industry accountable for gun trafficking and the proliferation of guns into Connecticut’s communities. William will resist and take legal action against any federal laws that encroach on Connecticut’s sovereign right to pass its own gun laws, including any “concealed carry” law that purports to force Connecticut to recognize gun permits from other states. Protecting Families As Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, William wrote and passed a tough new law that holds teachers and school officials accountable for failing to report instances when teachers and administrators engage in abuse or sexual misconduct against children. As Attorney General, Tong will protect children from predators. He will champion legislative initiatives and work with the Office of the Child Advocate to protect children everywhere in the state of Connecticut. Criminal Justice Reform William has taken on a system of mass incarceration and is a key leader in building a Second Chance Society here in Connecticut. William knows that Connecticut must be a state that gives ex-offenders – particularly young people who make mistakes – a second chance and real opportunity to lead productive lives. That’s why he fought to pass nationally recognized criminal justice reforms including reforming a bail system that criminalizes poverty, ending mandatory sentencing for non-violent drug possession, requiring police to wear body cameras, and repairing a broken pardon and parole process. William was the lead legislator responsible for writing and passing the Second Chance Society Law, the Excessive Use of Force Law, the Bail Reform Law, and he’s played a major role in passing many laws to build a fairer and more effective juvenile justice system. As Attorney General, William will continue his work with community advocates, legislative leaders, prosecutors, public defenders, law enforcement, and public safety and corrections officials to advance criminal justice reforms across the state. Opioid and Prescription Drug Crisis William will take on what he considers an “Addiction Industry” responsible for the opioid crisis and the scourge of addiction, and hold accountable the pharmaceutical industry, the drug distributors, the pharmacy chains, hospitals and health care providers, and treatment centers for any wrongdoing that contributes to the opioid and addiction crisis. In the legislature, William worked with his colleagues to combat the opioid crisis in Connecticut by establishing tough new prescription standards to avoid abuse and funding additional doses of anti-overdose medication to all state police officers. Protecting Personal Data With the rise of big technology that have access to our personal data and companies like Cambridge Analytica that are abusing that data for their own business purposes, Connecticut residents need someone to fight back. William will bring action against any technology company, no matter the size, if they are abusing their terms of service to sell personal data. William Tong will fight back on behalf of Connecticut consumers. Consumer Protection and Financial Fraud The Attorney General’s number one job is to protect Connecticut consumers from unfair business practices. When he was Chairman of the Banking Committee, William took on the big banks at the height of the foreclosure crisis. He passed legislation that changed Connecticut’s foreclosure laws to help struggling families stay in their homes. President Trump and his administration are now trying to gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) that was created by President Obama. William will fight back by creating a state consumer financial protection bureau and financial fraud task force to step in and take action against any company that takes advantage of Connecticut families. William will use the powers granted to state Attorneys General under the Dodd-Frank Act to protect Connecticut residents from financial fraud and abuse from payday lenders, student loan lenders, high-interest consumer lenders, and large banks and financial institutions. Immigration William is the son of immigrants and a first-generation American. His parents came to this country to seek opportunity for their children. That’s why he fought hard to pass the TRUST Act in Connecticut to protect immigrant families and undocumented residents from action by the Trump administration. As Attorney General, William will stand up for immigrant families and vigorously defend the TRUST Act and the right of Connecticut localities to declare themselves sanctuary cities to protect undocumented immigrants from unfair deportation. William will join with other Attorneys General to fight unjust laws like the so-called travel or “Muslim” ban and lawsuits by the federal government to impair or attack Connecticut laws to protect immigrants. A Harassment-Free Workplace William has worked in the General Assembly to pass new strict standards for sexual harassment in the legislative branch. William recently led the Judiciary Committee in passing groundbreaking new bills to combat sexual harassment and sexual assault, and he’s been a leader in fighting human trafficking. As Attorney General, he will hold his office to the highest standards to have a harassment-free workplace. Reproductive Freedom Over the past several years, William has personally stopped every major encroachment on a woman’s right to choose on the Judiciary Committee. William has been a steadfast supporter of reproductive freedom for women. As Attorney General, he will defend that right in court everywhere. Workers’ Rights and the Right to Organize William believes strongly in the right to organize and collectively bargain for better wages and benefits. That’s why William has the highest AFL-CIO rating of any candidate for Attorney General. He will vigorously defend collective bargaining and pension rights for workers across Connecticut. Like Attorneys General Blumenthal and Jepsen, William will use the Attorney General’s office and its platform to oppose Right to Work legislation. He will support labor organizing efforts, and use his relationships and experience as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee and a state legislator to support: A law to ban “Captive Audience” meetings to prevent workers from organizing; A $15 minimum wage; Policies that advance steady, full-time jobs with benefits instead of temporary or part-time work; Paid family and medical leave. Civil Rights William has been a leader in most of the major civil rights battles of the last decade, including marriage equality, the transgender rights bill, the repeal of the death penalty, and the TRUST Act. He recently wrote a major overhaul strengthening our state’s hate crimes laws. As Attorney General, William will leverage his relationships in the legislature and executive branch to strengthen our state’s civil rights laws and protections, and vigorously defend all Connecticut residents when our rights and liberties are at risk. Crumbling Foundations William is a strong, proactive leader on investigating and remedying the crisis of crumbling foundations in Eastern Connecticut. He led the way in introducing legislation in the Judiciary Committee, and is leading an investigation into how language changes in homeowners’ insurance policies concerning the “perils of collapse” may have affected coverage. As Attorney General, William will continue to investigate the causes of crumbling foundations and the failure of any responsible parties to help families who are at risk of losing their homes. Net Neutrality Attorney General Jepsen’s decision to join 20 other Attorneys General to oppose the FCC decision on net neutrality is the right one. The Trump administration’s proposal to allow big multinational companies to gain further control over the internet’s free flow of information is harmful to the country and Connecticut residents. Here in Connecticut, we will stand opposed to the harmful policies coming out of Washington. As Attorney General, William will continue Attorney General Jepsen's participation in this lawsuit and join any further actions that keeps the internet open and free from additional restrictions and corporate influence.	”
—William Tong’s campaign website (2018)

Susan Hatfield

Hatfield’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Sue’s Priorities Republicans have not won the office of Attorney General since 1954! But this year, with your help, that will change. We need a different kind of candidate – one who can appeal to a wide spectrum of voters, bring geographic balance, and offer a fresh outlook. We need a candidate who can compete, and win! I’m currently a state’s attorney with 13 years’ experience dealing with criminal cases. I also practiced finance law on Wall Street, and served as an aide to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. For nearly a decade I worked as a registered nurse at Yale-New Haven Hospital. My husband, Nick, is a retired state trooper. We live in Pomfret with our two boys, 10 and 7, and one other family member – our retired K-9 German shepherd, Elvis. Competition and focus has always been a big part of my life. I’m a former three-sport athlete at Griswold High School and was a college basketball player. I’ve also competed nationally as a bodybuilder and was an All-American master’s discus thrower! I’m ready to take on this challenge, and with your support, I will take the fight to the Democrats and campaign tirelessly to ensure the success of the entire Republican ticket. Please take a moment to read my platform to understand how I would approach this critical office and address some key issues. I look forward to answering any questions you may have, and earning your support. Privacy I will be a staunch advocate for our state’s consumers, particularly with respect to consumer’s privacy issues involving social media and other online and mobile applications that we have come to depend on in our everyday lives. I understand that in many instances we all simply click “accept” without reading the pages and pages of terms of use. I believe it is incumbent upon these platforms to thoroughly transparent relative to what information they will receive and how they will get it from you. Social media, which was originally a way for people to connect with other people both next door and across the oceans, has now become a multi billion dollar business which is about buying and selling information. While i fully support businesses to succeed, social media has redefined the relationship between user and business and we need to look how we can redefine the rules to meet this new relationship status. Net Neutrality Our lives revolve around our digital world and our ability to access information quickly, efficiently, and as inexpensively as possible. I support a fully open and accessible internet to all users. The ability to control the content that is available to users and, in many cases, to make certain content more expensive or wholly unreachable in order to ensure that one set of content is available over another set of content defeats the purpose of the interconnection that the internet has provided to the world. I was disappointed in the actions of the FCC regarding net neutrality. As Attorney General I will work with our legislature to ensure that Connecticut consumers have full and unfettered access to all information that is available online. Jobs and the Economy The Connecticut economy is at a crisis point. While our neighboring states are adding jobs, often at our expense, leading economists tell us that Connecticut is teetering on the edge of recession. It doesn’t have to be this way. We need to stop picking winners and losers. We need for our state to be welcoming of all businesses — large and small. I’ll use the tools of my office to help usher in a new culture and mindset: Connecticut is truly open for business again. Taxes and Spending Connecticut’s perpetual, enduring budget crisis hurts everybody. Because we all have to continually ask ourselves “what’s next?” Families find it hard to plan for the future, business are reluctant to make long-term investments, and it shakes the confidence of our next generation of workers. And it’s driving businesses and residents to move elsewhere. Uncertainty is the enemy of a bright future for our state. We need to get off the roller coaster. I will partner with my colleagues in the executive and legislative branches who are prepared to think boldly in order to set policies that will build an affordable but responsive state government that is sustainable for the 21st century. Transportation Not very long ago, traffic jams in Connecticut were limited to Fairfield County during rush hour; well, no longer. According to a national report, Connecticut is home to three of the 25 urban areas with the worst roads. The cost to New Haven drivers is an additional $728 annually while the cost to Hartford drivers is $653 a year. Of course in many ways, the cost to businesses is even greater as they struggle to bring their goods to market. Yet the neglect isn’t limited to just our roads and bridges; our deepwater ports, our parking garages, even our airports are suffering. For the sake of our future, our leaders need to get refocused in this area. I pledge to be part of the solution. The Opioid Crisis Just like the rest of the nation, Connecticut is feeling the effects of the exploding opioid crisis. In 2016, nearly 1,000 of our state’s residents died from accidental drug overdoses — more than a three-fold increase compared to just five years ago. The problem costs the U.S. a total $78.5 billion, more than 20% of which comes in the form of lost worker productivity and increased disability, with the impact on businesses ranging from financial challenges to safety concern. But the real impact is personal and heartfelt, with families losing loved ones. As a nurse who has worked for years with patients struggling with mental health issues, I will bring a special set of skills to bear as we work to tackle this important issue head-on. This is personal to me.	”
—Susan Hatfield’s campaign website (2018)

Social media

Twitter accounts

Tweets by William Tong Tweets by Susan Hatfield

Facebook accounts

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William Tong

Susan Hatfield

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

One of eight Connecticut counties—12.5 percent—is a Pivot County. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County	Trump margin of victory in 2016	Obama margin of victory in 2012	Obama margin of victory in 2008
Windham County, Connecticut	7.78%	13.28%	14.68%

In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won Connecticut with 54.6 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 40.9 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Connecticut voted Republican 53.33 percent of the time and Democratic 46.67 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Connecticut voted Democratic all five times.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Connecticut. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 120 out of 151 state House districts in Connecticut with an average margin of victory of 30.3 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 105 out of 151 state House districts in Connecticut with an average margin of victory of 30.9 points. Clinton won 32 districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.

In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 31 out of 151 state House districts in Connecticut with an average margin of victory of 8.6 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 46 out of 151 state House districts in Connecticut with an average margin of victory of 11.6 points. Trump won seven districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.

2016 presidential results by state House district
District	Obama	Romney	2012 Margin	Clinton	Trump	2016 Margin	Party Control
1	92.49%	6.77%	D+85.7	89.51%	7.51%	D+82	D
2	51.55%	47.37%	D+4.2	50.60%	44.71%	D+5.9	R
3	93.57%	5.98%	D+87.6	90.54%	7.47%	D+83.1	D
4	92.54%	6.94%	D+85.6	88.06%	9.25%	D+78.8	D
5	86.69%	12.67%	D+74	84.70%	12.67%	D+72	D
6	88.20%	11.40%	D+76.8	85.82%	11.88%	D+73.9	D
7	96.89%	2.76%	D+94.1	94.49%	3.74%	D+90.8	D
8	55.13%	43.29%	D+11.8	46.51%	47.31%	R+0.8	R
9	67.00%	31.94%	D+35.1	62.68%	32.97%	D+29.7	D
10	76.58%	22.61%	D+54	69.78%	27.16%	D+42.6	D
11	74.13%	24.75%	D+49.4	68.65%	27.19%	D+41.5	D
12	66.56%	32.04%	D+34.5	61.42%	33.32%	D+28.1	D
13	60.43%	38.23%	D+22.2	59.26%	35.40%	D+23.9	R
14	56.37%	42.40%	D+14	55.67%	39.58%	D+16.1	R
15	81.61%	17.90%	D+63.7	81.29%	16.01%	D+65.3	D
16	49.87%	48.82%	D+1.1	56.13%	38.43%	D+17.7	D
17	47.47%	51.38%	R+3.9	52.15%	42.98%	D+9.2	R
18	68.94%	29.85%	D+39.1	74.69%	20.99%	D+53.7	D
19	57.66%	41.43%	D+16.2	66.20%	29.38%	D+36.8	D
20	68.52%	30.32%	D+38.2	69.47%	26.31%	D+43.2	D
21	50.75%	48.05%	D+2.7	53.47%	41.89%	D+11.6	D
22	61.25%	37.50%	D+23.8	49.25%	46.39%	D+2.9	R
23	54.11%	44.83%	D+9.3	52.45%	43.51%	D+8.9	R
24	70.27%	28.84%	D+41.4	63.41%	32.86%	D+30.6	D
25	84.83%	14.40%	D+70.4	78.83%	18.44%	D+60.4	D
26	71.82%	27.05%	D+44.8	63.33%	32.51%	D+30.8	D
27	60.13%	38.56%	D+21.6	54.67%	40.90%	D+13.8	R
28	54.92%	43.86%	D+11.1	52.42%	43.20%	D+9.2	D
29	55.94%	42.86%	D+13.1	53.94%	41.63%	D+12.3	D
30	49.89%	48.85%	D+1	42.33%	53.52%	R+11.2	D
31	50.61%	48.25%	D+2.4	55.31%	39.59%	D+15.7	R
32	55.04%	43.64%	D+11.4	48.68%	46.17%	D+2.5	R
33	68.45%	30.17%	D+38.3	62.44%	32.43%	D+30	D
34	52.37%	46.13%	D+6.2	45.22%	49.75%	R+4.5	R
35	53.54%	45.30%	D+8.2	47.56%	48.30%	R+0.7	R
36	56.48%	42.32%	D+14.2	51.77%	43.33%	D+8.4	R
37	56.45%	42.30%	D+14.2	52.15%	43.02%	D+9.1	R
38	56.59%	42.00%	D+14.6	48.17%	46.43%	D+1.7	R
39	81.86%	16.53%	D+65.3	74.88%	19.98%	D+54.9	D
40	57.78%	40.50%	D+17.3	50.42%	42.21%	D+8.2	D
41	62.63%	35.97%	D+26.7	59.86%	35.06%	D+24.8	D
42	51.47%	46.82%	D+4.7	43.33%	50.62%	R+7.3	R
43	56.83%	41.64%	D+15.2	52.51%	42.78%	D+9.7	D
44	54.23%	43.73%	D+10.5	36.16%	57.01%	R+20.9	R
45	52.33%	45.60%	D+6.7	34.94%	58.76%	R+23.8	R
46	68.64%	29.50%	D+39.1	58.38%	35.58%	D+22.8	D
47	52.23%	46.02%	D+6.2	38.68%	54.73%	R+16.1	R
48	56.08%	42.14%	D+13.9	47.81%	45.96%	D+1.9	D
49	73.67%	24.87%	D+48.8	63.83%	30.75%	D+33.1	D
50	49.83%	48.43%	D+1.4	42.53%	51.72%	R+9.2	D
51	51.10%	46.82%	D+4.3	37.72%	55.77%	R+18.1	D
52	47.99%	50.41%	R+2.4	37.65%	57.14%	R+19.5	R
53	53.61%	44.77%	D+8.8	47.47%	45.79%	D+1.7	R
54	74.44%	22.99%	D+51.5	73.43%	20.23%	D+53.2	D
55	51.04%	47.60%	D+3.4	47.12%	47.50%	R+0.4	R
56	60.67%	37.75%	D+22.9	53.61%	40.46%	D+13.2	D
57	50.28%	48.34%	D+1.9	43.86%	51.08%	R+7.2	R
58	58.16%	40.10%	D+18.1	48.03%	46.50%	D+1.5	R
59	54.00%	44.54%	D+9.5	43.77%	50.61%	R+6.8	R
60	60.09%	38.49%	D+21.6	54.41%	40.52%	D+13.9	R
61	47.86%	50.91%	R+3.1	46.44%	48.03%	R+1.6	R
62	46.32%	52.24%	R+5.9	42.91%	51.10%	R+8.2	R
63	45.24%	53.11%	R+7.9	35.91%	59.22%	R+23.3	R
64	58.49%	40.18%	D+18.3	55.25%	39.96%	D+15.3	R
65	50.51%	47.54%	D+3	39.91%	54.86%	R+15	D
66	44.89%	53.81%	R+8.9	42.18%	53.32%	R+11.1	R
67	50.13%	48.38%	D+1.8	44.87%	50.51%	R+5.6	R
68	38.36%	60.44%	R+22.1	31.77%	64.70%	R+32.9	R
69	47.56%	51.44%	R+3.9	47.18%	48.90%	R+1.7	R
70	49.43%	48.89%	D+0.5	39.65%	55.54%	R+15.9	R
71	44.04%	54.99%	R+11	41.39%	54.93%	R+13.5	R
72	78.99%	20.44%	D+58.6	71.22%	26.33%	D+44.9	D
73	59.14%	40.12%	D+19	53.73%	43.11%	D+10.6	D
74	60.54%	38.37%	D+22.2	55.35%	41.21%	D+14.1	R
75	82.13%	17.29%	D+64.8	75.49%	22.22%	D+53.3	D
76	42.30%	56.16%	R+13.9	35.72%	59.35%	R+23.6	R
77	57.96%	40.82%	D+17.1	47.28%	48.37%	R+1.1	R
78	49.31%	49.34%	R+0	37.09%	59.43%	R+22.3	R
79	62.13%	36.79%	D+25.3	50.65%	44.76%	D+5.9	D
80	39.96%	59.03%	R+19.1	31.66%	64.81%	R+33.2	R
81	52.24%	46.34%	D+5.9	43.60%	51.71%	R+8.1	R
82	61.74%	37.01%	D+24.7	51.60%	43.65%	D+8	D
83	57.43%	41.64%	D+15.8	48.30%	47.77%	D+0.5	D
84	78.63%	20.21%	D+58.4	68.42%	27.38%	D+41	D
85	58.63%	40.00%	D+18.6	49.49%	45.95%	D+3.5	D
86	50.94%	47.93%	D+3	41.45%	55.07%	R+13.6	R
87	51.00%	47.91%	D+3.1	43.00%	53.54%	R+10.5	R
88	64.84%	34.33%	D+30.5	63.09%	33.50%	D+29.6	D
89	45.88%	52.83%	R+7	41.73%	53.94%	R+12.2	R
90	49.50%	49.27%	D+0.2	44.92%	50.42%	R+5.5	R
91	71.02%	28.05%	D+43	68.79%	28.01%	D+40.8	D
92	90.04%	9.26%	D+80.8	88.23%	8.87%	D+79.4	D
93	94.04%	5.26%	D+88.8	92.21%	5.63%	D+86.6	D
94	89.09%	10.11%	D+79	86.85%	10.34%	D+76.5	D
95	93.24%	6.45%	D+86.8	87.85%	10.25%	D+77.6	D
96	80.44%	18.19%	D+62.3	77.99%	18.82%	D+59.2	D
97	79.86%	19.36%	D+60.5	71.03%	26.02%	D+45	D
98	58.10%	41.10%	D+17	59.59%	36.92%	D+22.7	D
99	58.20%	40.74%	D+17.5	43.42%	53.68%	R+10.3	D
100	68.37%	30.20%	D+38.2	59.83%	34.70%	D+25.1	D
101	50.24%	49.15%	D+1.1	52.73%	42.75%	D+10	R
102	59.07%	39.83%	D+19.2	54.29%	42.07%	D+12.2	D
103	49.87%	48.93%	D+0.9	47.42%	48.09%	R+0.7	D
104	61.67%	37.00%	D+24.7	48.24%	47.64%	D+0.6	D
105	47.47%	50.85%	R+3.4	36.71%	58.78%	R+22.1	R
106	46.91%	51.93%	R+5	49.00%	46.32%	D+2.7	R
107	46.14%	52.69%	R+6.6	45.69%	50.22%	R+4.5	R
108	46.63%	52.18%	R+5.6	43.14%	52.59%	R+9.5	R
109	59.30%	39.85%	D+19.5	54.64%	41.59%	D+13.1	D
110	69.46%	29.43%	D+40	66.40%	29.93%	D+36.5	D
111	46.72%	52.32%	R+5.6	55.72%	39.70%	D+16	R
112	43.53%	55.23%	R+11.7	42.08%	53.69%	R+11.6	R
113	45.59%	53.06%	R+7.5	38.93%	56.85%	R+17.9	R
114	52.24%	46.77%	D+5.5	51.57%	44.86%	D+6.7	R
115	69.14%	29.79%	D+39.4	57.47%	38.78%	D+18.7	D
116	82.99%	16.24%	D+66.8	75.09%	22.25%	D+52.8	D
117	54.80%	44.05%	D+10.8	46.58%	49.79%	R+3.2	R
118	56.74%	41.72%	D+15	50.06%	45.44%	D+4.6	D
119	49.33%	49.44%	R+0.1	46.15%	50.19%	R+4	R
120	52.66%	46.17%	D+6.5	49.00%	46.86%	D+2.1	D
121	69.58%	29.53%	D+40.1	63.75%	32.86%	D+30.9	D
122	43.71%	55.48%	R+11.8	40.56%	56.27%	R+15.7	R
123	46.02%	53.07%	R+7.1	47.40%	48.87%	R+1.5	R
124	92.91%	6.85%	D+86.1	88.21%	10.08%	D+78.1	D
125	38.12%	60.99%	R+22.9	54.45%	40.22%	D+14.2	R
126	87.89%	11.69%	D+76.2	82.05%	15.49%	D+66.6	D
127	73.75%	25.71%	D+48	70.48%	26.91%	D+43.6	D
128	93.61%	5.92%	D+87.7	88.85%	9.56%	D+79.3	D
129	77.69%	21.51%	D+56.2	74.21%	22.70%	D+51.5	D
130	92.36%	7.37%	D+85	87.37%	10.56%	D+76.8	D
131	43.13%	55.42%	R+12.3	35.63%	60.28%	R+24.7	R
132	49.34%	49.72%	R+0.4	56.65%	39.38%	D+17.3	R
133	57.75%	41.06%	D+16.7	59.87%	35.88%	D+24	D
134	45.32%	53.75%	R+8.4	50.73%	45.11%	D+5.6	R
135	49.88%	49.04%	D+0.8	58.64%	36.95%	D+21.7	R
136	56.68%	42.57%	D+14.1	69.50%	26.62%	D+42.9	D
137	66.76%	31.99%	D+34.8	66.51%	29.67%	D+36.8	D
138	51.38%	47.42%	D+4	50.31%	45.50%	D+4.8	R
139	58.71%	39.40%	D+19.3	46.27%	47.70%	R+1.4	D
140	80.35%	18.77%	D+61.6	76.93%	19.96%	D+57	D
141	39.54%	59.82%	R+20.3	56.05%	38.27%	D+17.8	R
142	52.46%	46.56%	D+5.9	56.93%	39.06%	D+17.9	R
143	49.54%	49.41%	D+0.1	57.08%	38.35%	D+18.7	R
144	55.71%	43.34%	D+12.4	57.85%	38.43%	D+19.4	D
145	82.37%	17.09%	D+65.3	80.19%	17.15%	D+63	D
146	66.49%	32.45%	D+34	70.69%	25.77%	D+44.9	D
147	50.78%	48.18%	D+2.6	57.96%	38.09%	D+19.9	D
148	69.33%	29.79%	D+39.5	68.87%	27.90%	D+41	D
149	42.34%	56.81%	R+14.5	54.38%	41.72%	D+12.7	R
150	48.35%	50.82%	R+2.5	61.39%	34.60%	D+26.8	R
151	43.49%	55.63%	R+12.1	55.81%	39.53%	D+16.3	R
Total	58.08%	40.75%	D+17.3	54.65%	40.99%	D+13.7	-
Source: Daily Kos

Election history

2014

See also: Connecticut Attorney General election, 2014

Attorney General of Connecticut, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	George Jepsen Incumbent	56.7%	590,225
	Republican	Kie Westby	41.1%	427,869
	Green	Stephen Fournier	2.1%	22,361
Total Votes				1,040,455
Election results via Connecticut Secretary of State

2010

See also: Connecticut Attorney General election, 2010

On November 2, 2010, George C. Jepsen won election to the office of Attorney General of Connecticut. He defeated Martha Dean (Republican) and Stephen Fournier (Green) in the general election.

Attorney General of Connecticut, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democrat	George C. Jepsen	53.7%	591,663
	Republican	Martha Dean	43.6%	480,382
	Green	Stephen Fournier	2.7%	29,748
Total Votes				1,101,793
Election results via Connecticut Secretary of State.

State overview

Partisan control

This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Connecticut heading into the 2018 elections.

Congressional delegation

• Following the 2016 elections, Democrats held both U.S. Senate seats in Connecticut.
• Democrats held all five U.S. House seats in Connecticut.

State executives

• As of August 2018, Democrats held six of 12 state executive positions, the remaining six positions were officially nonpartisan.
• The governor of Connecticut was Democrat Dan Malloy. The state held elections for governor and lieutenant governor on November 6, 2018.

State legislature

• Democrats controlled both chambers of the Connecticut General Assembly. They had a 80-71 majority in the state House and a 18-18 majority in the state Senate.

Trifecta status

• Connecticut was one of eight Democratic trifectas, meaning that Democrats controlled the office of the governor, the state House, and the state Senate.

2018 elections

See also: Connecticut elections, 2018

Connecticut held elections for the following positions in 2018:

• One U.S. Senate seat
• Five U.S. House seats
• Governor and lieutenant governor
• Four lower state executive positions
• 36 state Senate seats
• 151 state House seats

Demographics

Demographic data for Connecticut
	Connecticut	U.S.
Total population:	3,584,730	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	4,842	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	77.3%	73.6%
Black/African American:	10.3%	12.6%
Asian:	4.2%	5.1%
Native American:	0.2%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.8%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	14.7%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	89.9%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	37.6%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$70,331	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	12.2%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Connecticut. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

As of July 2016, Connecticut's three largest cities were Bridgeport (pop. est. 146,579), New Haven (pop. est. 131,014), and Stamford (pop. est. 130,824).

State election history

This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Connecticut from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Connecticut Secretary of State.

Historical elections

Presidential elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Connecticut every year from 2000 to 2016.

Election results (President of the United States), Connecticut 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Hillary Clinton	54.6%	Donald Trump	40.9%	13.7%
2012	Barack Obama	58.1%	Mitt Romney	40.8%	17.3%
2008	Barack Obama	60.6%	John McCain	38.2%	22.4%
2004	John Kerry	54.3%	George W. Bush	43.9%	10.4%
2000	Al Gore	55.9%	George W. Bush	38.4%	17.5%

U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Connecticut from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

Election results (U.S. Senator), Connecticut 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Richard Blumenthal	63.2%	Dan Carter	34.6%	28.6%
2012	Christopher Murphy	54.8%	Linda McMahon	43.1%	11.7%
2010	Richard Blumenthal	55.2%	Linda McMahon	43.2%	12%
2006	Joe Lieberman (I)	49.7%	Ned Lamont	39.7%	12.2%
2004	Chris Dodd	66.4%	Jack Orchulli	32.1%	34.3%
2002	Joe Lieberman	63.2%	Philip Giordano	34.2%	29%

Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Connecticut.

Election results (Governor), Connecticut 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2014	Dan Malloy	50.7%	Tom Foley	48.2%	2.5%
2010	Dan Malloy	49.5%	Tom Foley	49%	.5%
2006	Jodi Rell	63.2%	John DeStefano, Jr.	35.5%	27.7%
2002	John G. Rowland	56.1%	Bill Curry	43.9%	12.2%

Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Connecticut in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

Congressional delegation, Connecticut 2000-2016
Year	Republicans	Republicans (%)	Democrats	Democrats (%)	Balance of power
2016	0	0%	5	100%	D+5
2014	0	0%	5	100%	D+5
2012	0	0%	5	100%	D+5
2010	0	0%	5	100%	D+5
2008	0	36.8%	5	100%	D+5
2006	1	20%	4	80%	D+4
2004	3	60%	2	40%	R+1
2002	3	60%	2	40%	R+1
2000	2	40%	3	60.0%	D+1

Trifectas, 1992-2017

A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

Connecticut Party Control: 1992-2025
Fifteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Governor	I	I	I	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	D	D	D	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
House	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Connecticut attorney general election 2018. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Connecticut Attorney General election, 2018 - Google News

See also

Connecticut government:

• Connecticut state executive offices
• Connecticut State Legislature
• Connecticut courts

Elections:

• Connecticut state executive official elections, 2018
• Gubernatorial elections, 2018
• Lieutenant gubernatorial elections, 2018
• Attorney General elections, 2018
• Secretary of State elections, 2018
• State executive official elections, 2018, 2017, 2016

Ballotpedia exclusives:

• State executives compensation
• State of the state addresses
• Trifecta control of state government

External links

Suggest a link

• Connecticut attorney general official website

Footnotes

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