Flashpoints include unionization, a big issue for any blue-collar city. Still, Yale has made increasing efforts to support the community, encouraging workers and professors alike to live within city limits.
New Haven is solidly Democratic, with outlying towns leaning slightly to the right.
The 3rd is home to many minority groups that traditionally support Democrats. Hispanics are the fastest growing minority, and the district also has the highest percentage of Italian-Americans in the nation. This mix may create tensions within the Democratic Party, but it keeps the district solidly liberal. The defense industry plays a large role in the 3rd. Legislators in the area know the importance of making jobs available, and employment has remained stable, if not spectacular.