Connecticut's 4th Congressional District election, 2026
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| Connecticut's 4th Congressional District |
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| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: June 9, 2026 |
| Primary: August 11, 2026 General: November 3, 2026 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times:
6 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Race ratings |
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending Inside Elections: Solid Democratic Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Democratic |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026 |
| See also |
1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th Connecticut elections, 2026 U.S. Congress elections, 2026 U.S. Senate elections, 2026 U.S. House elections, 2026 |
All U.S. House districts, including the 4th Congressional District of Connecticut, are holding elections in 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. The primary is August 11, 2026. The filing deadline is June 9, 2026. For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:
- Connecticut's 4th Congressional District election, 2026 (August 11 Democratic primary)
- Connecticut's 4th Congressional District election, 2026 (August 11 Republican primary)
Candidates and election results
Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:
- Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
- Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies
General election
The primary will occur on August 11, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.
General election for U.S. House Connecticut District 4
Damon Cerreta is running in the general election for U.S. House Connecticut District 4 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
Damon Cerreta (Independent)  | ||
| ||||
| = 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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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Connecticut District 4
Incumbent Jim Himes is running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Connecticut District 4 on August 11, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Jim Himes | |
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Connecticut District 4
Michael Goldstein and Daniel Miressi are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Connecticut District 4 on August 11, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Michael Goldstein | |
 | Daniel Miressi | |
| ||||
| = 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
This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.
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Party: Independent
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "My name is Damon Cerreta, and I am a proud American and Connecticut resident. I thank God every day for the blessing of growing up in such a beautiful community. It is these communities that have shaped me into the entrepreneur I am today, and it is my goal, if elected, to give back in numerous ways. From managing a customer service team to owning my own company, my journey has helped me grow as a leader. I am committed to ensuring that everyone has the same opportunities that I had. I will fight against greedy corporations and the corrupt politicians that serve them. I am dedicated to giving a voice to those who are not being heard."
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Connecticut
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Survey responses from candidates in this race
Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
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Damon Cerreta (Independent)
One of my key campaign messages is to stand up against corporate America and ensure the working class is protected. I propose new legislation that will:
- Eliminate hidden costs and uncontrollable price increases in service agreements. - Prevent corporations from locking customers into unfair multi-year agreements. - Protect customers from being sued if they try to leave an agreement that was misleading or materially altered by the service provider. - Stop the cycle of corporations raising prices and pushing out small businesses.
This legislation will ensure fair treatment for all customers and prevent exploitative practices. We need to protect the working class from corporate greed and create a more equitable business environment.Our planet is our home, and it’s time we treat it that way. From cleaning up litter across our communities to investing in real science that prepares us for natural disasters, we must take responsibility. I’ll support education, research, and sustainable practices that protect our air, water, and land. Together, we can build a culture of environmental care—one that values action, awareness, and accountability. Let’s protect the Earth not just for today, but for generations to come.
Damon Cerreta (Independent)
Damon Cerreta (Independent)
Damon Cerreta (Independent)
Damon Cerreta (Independent)
-Recommit to civil discourse and mutual respect, recognizing that disagreement is a cornerstone of democracy. -Promote inclusive narratives that celebrate our diverse heritage while emphasizing shared values. -Encourage civic education that fosters an understanding of our constitutional principles and responsibilities.
By embracing these steps, we can work towards healing our divisions and strengthening the bonds that unite us. The future of our republic depends on our collective effort to remain, unequivocally, one nation.
Damon Cerreta (Independent)
Campaign finance
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Himes | Democratic Party | $803,939 | $672,395 | $2,238,362 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Michael Goldstein | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Daniel Miressi | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Damon Cerreta | Independent | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
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General election race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[1]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[2][3][4]
| Race ratings: Connecticut's 4th Congressional District election, 2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| 3/3/2026 | 2/24/2026 | 2/17/2026 | 2/10/2026 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | |||||
| Decision Desk HQ and The Hill | Pending | Pending | Pending | Pending | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week. | |||||||||
Ballot access
The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Connecticut in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Connecticut, click here.
| Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source |
| Connecticut | U.S. House | Ballot-qualified party | 2% of enrolled party members | N/A | 6/9/2026 | Source |
| Connecticut | U.S. House | Unaffiliated | 1% of votes cast for the office in the last election, or 7,500, whichever is less | N/A | 6/9/2026 | Source |
District history
The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2020.
General election
General election for U.S. House Connecticut District 4
Incumbent Jim Himes (D) defeated Michael Goldstein (R) and Benjamin Wesley (Independent Party) in the general election for U.S. House Connecticut District 4 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jim Himes (D) | 61.1 | 200,791 |
| | Michael Goldstein (R) | 37.3 | 122,793 | |
 | Benjamin Wesley (Independent Party) | 1.6 | 5,273 | |
| Total votes: 328,857 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Jaden Skudlarek (Independent)
Democratic primary
The Democratic primary scheduled for August 13, 2024, was canceled. Incumbent Jim Himes (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Connecticut District 4 without appearing on the ballot.
Republican primary
Republican primary for U.S. House Connecticut District 4
Michael Goldstein (R) defeated Bob MacGuffie (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Connecticut District 4 on August 13, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Michael Goldstein | 53.7 | 4,312 |
 | Bob MacGuffie | 46.3 | 3,713 | |
| Total votes: 8,025 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Daniel Miressi (R)
General election
General election for U.S. House Connecticut District 4
Incumbent Jim Himes (D) defeated Jayme Stevenson (R / Independent Party) in the general election for U.S. House Connecticut District 4 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jim Himes (D) | 59.4 | 140,262 |
 | Jayme Stevenson (R / Independent Party) | 40.6 | 95,822 | |
| Total votes: 236,084 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary
The Democratic primary scheduled for August 9, 2022, was canceled. Incumbent Jim Himes (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Connecticut District 4 without appearing on the ballot.
Republican primary
Republican primary for U.S. House Connecticut District 4
Jayme Stevenson (R) defeated Michael Goldstein (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Connecticut District 4 on August 9, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jayme Stevenson | 60.3 | 9,962 |
| | Michael Goldstein | 39.7 | 6,555 | |
| Total votes: 16,517 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
General election
General election for U.S. House Connecticut District 4
Incumbent Jim Himes (D) defeated Jonathan Riddle (R), Brian Merlen (Independent Party), and Yusheng Peng (Independent) in the general election for U.S. House Connecticut District 4 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jim Himes (D) | 62.2 | 224,432 |
 | Jonathan Riddle (R) | 36.2 | 130,627 | |
 | Brian Merlen (Independent Party) | 1.6 | 5,647 | |
| Yusheng Peng (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 10 | ||
| Total votes: 360,716 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary
The Democratic primary scheduled for August 11, 2020, was canceled. Incumbent Jim Himes (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Connecticut District 4 without appearing on the ballot.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Brian Merlen (D)
Republican primary
The Republican primary scheduled for August 11, 2020, was canceled. Jonathan Riddle (R) advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Connecticut District 4 without appearing on the ballot.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- TJ Elgin (R)
- Michael Goldstein (R)
District analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.
- District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
- Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2026 U.S. House elections in the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
- State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
Below is the district map in place for this election. Click the map below to enlarge it.
Partisan Voter Index
Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is D+13. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 13 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made Connecticut's 4th the 99th most Democratic district nationally.[5]
2020 presidential election results
The table below shows what the vote in the 2024 presidential election was in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by The Downballot.
Kamala Harris  | Donald Trump  |
|---|---|
| 61.0% | 38.0% |
Presidential voting history
Connecticut presidential election results (1900-2024)
- 16 Democratic wins
- 16 Republican wins
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | R | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | R | R | R | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of Connecticut's congressional delegation as of October 2025.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Connecticut | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| Republican | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 5 | 7 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in Connecticut's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.
| Office | Officeholder |
|---|---|
| Governor | Ned Lamont |
| Lieutenant Governor | Susan Bysiewicz |
| Secretary of State | Stephanie Thomas |
| Attorney General | William Tong |
State legislature
Connecticut State Senate
| Party | As of February 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 25 | |
| Republican Party | 11 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 36 | |
Connecticut House of Representatives
| Party | As of February 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 102 | |
| Republican Party | 49 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 151 | |
Trifecta control
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 |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025
