Genghis Conn is running with a terrific series of pieces this week, entitled “Figuring Out Your District”.  Genghis - the high priest of the Connecticut blogopshere - is breaking down each Congressional District in Connecticut and figuring out where the votes really are.

On Saturday, GC waded in to the First Congressional District, where 50 years of Democratic rule is being challenged this year by up-and-comer West Hartford Town Councilor Joe Visconti.  It’s been a decade since Kevin O’Connor waged his spirited race for the then-open 1998 First Congressional District seat, earning repute amongst Republicans for his 41% showing against then-Sen. John Larson.  Genghis sums up the fate of the district this way:

And it’s these towns that time and again have delivered huge margins for John Larson, and for Barbara Kennelly before him. Of course, this allows us to see just how ridiculously gerrymandered this district (or the adjacent 5th district) is. The 1st skips across the top of the state to connect Greater Hartford and the river valley with a few tiny towns around… Torrington?

And that’s the story in the First Congressional District that no one ever talks about.

He took on the Big Deuce yesterday.  He zeroed in on one of the keys to the 2nd CD with this graph showing the margins from 2006.  Simmons beat now-Rep. Courtney everywhere except UCONN and (narrowly) Greater Hartford, and the overwhelming results from Mansfield turned the narrow tide for Courtney.

While this type of analysis always draws a great deal of Monday-morning quarterbacking, Genghis has really done a terrific job with his series so far, and I’m looking forward to the rest of them.