Politics is the source of a lot of controversies these days, and many people want those around them to have the same political beliefs that they do. Are the residents of New Haven more likely to be liberal or conservative?
New Haven, Connecticut is a liberal city. The majority of residents voted for the Democratic candidates in every presidential election since 2000. New Haven County is also a liberal area, and Connecticut is a moderately liberal state.
There are many factors that contribute to the political climate of a city. When deciding whether New Haven is a liberal or conservative city, it is important to consider the presidential elections, the local leaders, the policies, and the demographics.
Presidential Elections
The results of presidential elections in a city are a big indicator of the political climate. The two major political parties in the United States represent the liberal and conservative perspectives. The Democratic party has mostly liberal members and supports liberal policies. The Republican party has mostly conservative members and supports conservative policies. If the majority of residents vote for the Democratic candidate, the city is mostly liberal. If the majority of residents vote for the Republican candidate, the city is mostly conservative.
It is important to not only consider which candidate got the most votes, but also how many votes they won by. The difference between the percentage of votes for the Democratic candidate and the percentage of votes for the Republican candidate is how much the winning candidate won by and shows how liberal or conservative a city is. If the difference is high, the city is solidly liberal or conservative. If the difference is low, the city is closer to being evenly split between liberal and conservative.
Connecticut is a moderately liberal state
. The majority of residents voted for the Democratic candidate in every presidential election since 2000. The differences between the percentages were between 10% and 20% in each of those elections except for the 2008 election. The highest difference was 22.4% in 2008, and the lowest difference was 10.3% in 2004. The differences were relatively equal across that time period.
In the 2020 election, 59.2% of Connecticut residents voted for the Democratic candidate and 39.2% voted for the Republican candidate. The difference of 20% was the second highest after 2008.
New Haven County, the county in which the city of New Haven is, a liberal area. The majority of residents voted for the Democratic candidate in all of the last six presidential elections. The differences between the percentages was close to 10% in 2004 and 2016; close to 22% in 2000, 2008, and 2012; and close to 17% in 2020. The highest difference was 23.23% in 2008, and the lowest difference was 10.55% in 2004.
In the 2020 election, 58.05% of New Haven County residents voted for the Democratic candidate and 40.65% voted for the Republican candidate. The difference of 17.4% was the third lowest after 2004 and 2016. This high average of differences shows that the county has been solidly liberal for the entire 20-year period.
The city of New Haven, like New Haven County and the state of Connecticut, has a liberal majority. The majority of residents voted for the Democratic candidates in every presidential election since 2000. The differences between the percentages were above 10% in every one of those elections. The differences remained relatively even across that time, so the city didn’t get more or less liberal over time. The differences and percentages of the elections in New Haven were close to those of New Haven County.
From 2018 to 2021, there were 37,069 contributions to the Democratic party in the city of New Haven, totaling $3,573,999. During that same time period, there were 772 contributions to the Republican party in New Haven, totaling $135,715. The average size of donations to the Republican party was almost 2 times the average size of donations to the Democratic party.
Local Leaders
The local leaders of a city represent the political climate of the city. The people elect their leaders based on their beliefs and promises, meaning that those beliefs and promises reflect the desires of the people. It is important to consider the campaign platforms, the party affiliations, and the goals and initiatives of the local leaders of New Haven to decide if the city is liberal or conservative.
Mayor
The mayor of New Haven is one of the most important elected officials in the city. The mayor is elected by the whole city to represent the city in state, national, or international matters. The mayor also proposes a budget, appoints certain city employees, signs legislation, and oversees the operations of the city. The mayor serves for four years each term.
The current mayor of New Haven is Justin Elicker. He was elected as the 51st mayor of the city in 2020, and his term ends in 2024. He was on the New Haven Board of Alders for four years and has worked in the US Foreign Services.
Mayor Elicker has focused most of his time in office on health, public safety, and combatting homelessness. He worked on keeping people safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also focused on decreasing gun violence to increase public safety and worked with non-profit organizations to increase the available affordable housing.
The mayoral elections in New Haven are nonpartisan, so Mayor Elicker is also technically nonpartisan. However, he has been known to be affiliated with the Democratic party. His party affiliations and the goals and initiatives he has had suggest that he is of a liberal perspective.
Board of Alders
The New Haven Board of Alders is a board of elected officials that serves as the legislative body of the city. The city council accepts a budget, approves mayoral appointees, imposes taxes, and creates or changes laws. There are 30 alders on the Board of Alders, each elected by one of the city’s 30 districts. The alders serve for 4 years each term.
All of the current alders are considered nonpartisan. However, the goals and initiatives of the Board of Alders suggest that it has a liberal majority.
Policies
The policies in place in a city are another indicator of the political climate. Certain policies are likely to be supported or opposed by liberals or conservatives. Fewer abortion restrictions, more gun control laws, and legal same-sex marriage are all likely to be supported by liberals and opposed by conservatives.
Abortions
Abortions in Connecticut must be performed before 24 weeks of pregnancy when the fetus becomes viable, unless the patient’s life or health is endangered. This is the only major abortion restriction in place. Private insurance policies, insurance policies for public employees, health plans, and public funding can all legally cover abortions. The parents of a minor do not need to consent or be notified before that minor can receive an abortion.
As of 2017, there were 54 facilities that provide abortions in Connecticut, 26 of which were clinics. 13% of Connecticut counties do not have an abortion clinic, leaving 5% of women in Connecticut without access to an abortion clinic.
New Haven residents tend to support the low number of abortion restrictions in Connecticut, which is consistent with a liberal perspective.
Gun Control
In 2020, Connecticut had the sixth-lowest gun death rate and the seventh-lowest crime gun export rate in the United States. Connecticut gun control laws include universal background checks, gun owner licensing, domestic violence gun laws, assault weapons, and large capacity magazine restrictions, concealed and open carry regulations, child access prevention laws, lost and stolen firearm reporting, state database background checks, and a ghost gun ban. Connecticut gun control laws do not include safe storage requirements, bulk firearm purchase restrictions, handgun design safety standards, and microstamping requirements.
New Haven residents tend to support the high number of gun control restrictions in Connecticut, which is consistent with a liberal perspective.
Same-Sex Marriage
Connecticut legalized same-sex marriage on November 12, 2008, and was the second state to do so. This was seven years before the Supreme Court mandate required all states to legalize same-sex marriage. New Haven residents generally supported the legalization of same-sex marriage.
Demographics
The population of New Haven is 130,801 people. The population density is 6,998 people per square mile. 52.7% of the population is female and 47.3% is male. The median age in New Haven is 30.5, and the average number of people per household is 2.4.
The racial makeup of New Haven is as follows:
- White: 30.3%
- Black: 31.5%
- Hispanic/Latino: 30.4%
- Asian: 4.6%
- Native American: 0.2%
- Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0.0%
- Two or More Races: 2.4%
- Other: 0.4%
30.6% of New Haven residents are married and 10.0% are divorced. 24.3% are married with children and 33.5% are single with children.
The average income in New Haven is $23,796 per year, and the median household income is $37,508 per year. The unemployment rate is 9.7%. The sales tax rate is 6.4%, and the income tax rate is 5.5%.
84.6% of New Haven residents are high school graduates, and 14.9% are only high school graduates. 15.5% have two-year degrees, 33.9% have four-year degrees, 4.1% have master’s degrees, and 4.2% have professional degrees.
