Democratic Rep. Jim Himes has defeated Republican Dan Debicella to claim a fourth term representing Connecticut's Gold Coast in Congress.
Connecticut's Fourth District includes Bridgeport, the state's largest city, and New York City's affluent suburbs.
Himes is a former banker who in 2008 became the first Democrat elected to represent the district in more than 40 years. On the campaign trail, he has touted his support for infrastructure improvements and efforts to curb the federal budget deficit.
Himes said the election came down to his capacity to listen to his constituents, and to get things done in a gridlocked Congress. "I've spent a year and a half now on the Intelligence Committee at a time when Edward Snowden did his thing, and Syria, and ISIS," he said. "I feel like I've found ways to be useful, even in the context of huge dysfunctionality. I'm also somewhat hopeful about the next two to four years, inasmuch as a lot of the extremes, the anger, the emotion-driven politics -- they're starting, I think, with the return of the economy, to fade a bit. I'm hoping for more functionality."
Debicella is a former state senator who was also the Republican candidate for the U.S. House seat in 2010. Debicella had criticized Himes for not doing more to fix major traffic jams on local highways and recurring problems on the Metro-North Railroad.
Debicella said he's not sure if he will run for public office again, but will continue in public service. "In the short term, it'll be back to business for me," he said. "I'm a businessman by training, and if the voters don't choose me, I'll go back to that. I'm 40 years old, and I believe in public service, so I want to give back. Elected office is just one way to do that. There are a lot of community organizations and great charities out there that I'm going to be involved with whether I win or lose. Once your heart's in public service, you find a way to do it."
This was a rematch for the two candidates. In 2010, Himes defeated Debicella 53 to 46 percent. Himes won that election with strong support in Bridgeport and Stamford.
This report includes information from The Associated Press, and WSHU Public Radio contributed.
