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CONNECTICUT 2 : East - New London

The state's largest and most working-class district, the 2nd runs from the Groton waterfront north to the Massachusetts border. The district leads the state in tourism, with attractions such as such as Mystic Seaport - the nation's largest maritime museum - and the huge American Indian-owned Foxwoods and Monhegan casinos.

At the beginning of the 1990s, the 2nd's economy was highly dependent on submarine contracts and other defense work - until the submarine contracts in New London and Groton were sent to Newport News, Va. By the middle of the decade, nuclear technicians became blackjack dealers, finding jobs in the suddenly huge gaming industry along the Interstate 95 corridor. The decade ended without any dramatic shift in employment levels, although the stability of union jobs was gone.

If the 1990s economy was hardly placid, the politics of the district were even more shaken - a political system once built on defense patronage had to learn a whole new set of rules built around a service economy. Democrats were quick to respond to the new issues and have held onto their lock on the 2nd at the local, state and national levels. Still, some observers say the tension created by the economic shift might crack the door open to moderate Republican challengers.

Major Industry
Gambling, defense, health care

Military Bases
New London Naval Submarine Base, 8,339 military, 1,293 civilian (1995)

Population
548,018 (1990)

Cities
Norwich, 35,869; New London, 25,038 (1996); Storrs (unincorporated), 12,198 (1990)

People
87% urban; 12% age 65+ (ranks sixth of six in state; middle third nationally); 59% married couples, 27% married couples with children; 23% college educated (ranks sixth of six in state; top third nationally); 60% white collar (ranks sixth of six in state; middle third nationally), 26% blue collar (ranks first of six in state; middle third nationally) (1990)

Race
93% white, 4% black, 1% Asian; 3% Hispanic origin (1990)

Median Household Income
$38,524 (ranks sixth of six in state; top third nationally) (1990)

Unusual Features
Foxwoods Casino, owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Indian Tribe, is the largest casino in the Northern hemisphere, taking in more than $5 billion annually from slot machines alone.

© 2002 The Washington Post Company