1996Flipped from RepublicanFinal results
1996 election for Connecticut's 5th District
U.S. House · Connecticut
James Maloney (D) won with 52.0% of the vote, defeating Gary Franks (R) by 6.1 points, a seat Republicans won last time.
James MaloneyDemocrat · winner
52.0%111,974
Gary FranksRepublican
45.9%98,782
Rosita RodriguezOther party
1.4%2,983
Walter F. Thiessen Jr.Libertarian
0.6%1,391
215,130 votes
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 1996
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
Money in this race
Each line compares the two campaigns on one scale.
James MaloneyGary Franks
$621.2K
Raised by the campaign
$735.9K
$614.4K
Spent by the campaign
$644.3K
$7.1K
Cash on hand
$208.3K
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1996.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1996
The candidates
James Maloney (D)Gary Franks (R)
Also on the ballot: Rosita Rodriguez (Other party), 1.4%; Walter F. Thiessen Jr. (Libertarian), 0.6%