An altered Connecticut House of Representatives district map approved in November by the Bipartisan Reapportionment Commission of the Connecticut General Assembly will reshape the composition of the 112th House District.
Currently, the 112th District includes Monroe and part of Newtown, but the reconfigured entity consists of Monroe and a portion of Trumbull and Easton. This redistricting means that over 3,500 residents from Easton will no longer be part of the 135th District, and Newtown will make up the entire 106th District.
The redrawn House District boundaries will take effect in legislative elections this November. Consequently, Easton residents “moving” to the 112th District will only be able to vote for legislators running for office in that district—and not in the 135th. Easton will then have two state representatives when legislators get sworn in on Jan. 4, 2023. Until that time, the town will continue to be represented by the House and Senate legislators currently in office.
Why the redistricting? Federal law requires it every 10 years following completion of the United States Census (which was delayed this cycle due to the pandemic). In Connecticut, the General Assembly generally has the responsibility for redrawing legislative and congressional district lines that reflect population shifts. According to its website: “The purpose of redistricting is to establish and maintain voting districts that are faithful to the principle of one-person, one-vote.”
Tony Scott, a Republican who formerly served on the Monroe Town Council, is the State Representative for the 112th District. “The 112th District will represent almost 50% (3,588 people) of Easton. The split will basically be Route 59. Anyone living east of Route 59 will be in the 112th District, along with a couple of neighborhoods on the west side of Route 59 at the northernmost and southernmost parts of Easton,” Scott said.
Anne Hughes, the Democratic State Representative for the 135th District, acknowledged the uncertainty arising from the changes, and wanted to reassure her constituents of her ongoing commitment to Easton. “Redistricting affects your voting community and who you get to vote for, but how you’re represented doesn’t change. I’ll continue advocating for all three towns in my district [Easton, Redding, and Weston]. My colleagues and I are out in the district every week listening to residents’ concerns. We’ve never been as accessible as we are now. It’s our job,” Hughes said.
Scott also said he is encountering apprehension. “Many are confused as they thought the change would start right away, in January 2022. But after explaining the process, they felt a little more comfortable knowing they’ll have longer to get used to any change. Their biggest concern is knowing who will be their new representative.
“The maps could be a little confusing and sometimes people on one side of the street will have one representative and the other side a different representative. For Monroe, it’ll be easy as the entire town will be in the 112th District again, but for Easton and Trumbull, it’s only a section of the town,” Scott said.
On the Senate side, redistricting did not affect Easton. The town remains in District 28 represented by State Senator Tony Hwang. Scott said he looks forward to working with Hughes and Hwang in the coming months.
“I hope to work closely with Representative Hughes to support and advocate for the best interests of the residents of Easton. I worked closely with Senator Hwang in Newtown along with two other representatives of both parties to bring dollars and help to its residents. I expect to have the same open dialogue and communication with Representative Hughes in Easton,” Scott said.
Additional information about the redistricting plan can be found at the state’s 2021 Redistricting Project website.
Contact Representatives Hughes and Scott about the redistricting and any other concerns you might have:
State Representative Anne Hughes: (800) 842-8267, (860) 240-8585; Anne.Hughes@cga.ct.gov
State Representative Tony Scott: Phone: (800) 842-1423 or (860) 240-8700; Tony.Scott@housegop.ct.gov.
