The feelings of protesters and supporters of Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the nation’s highest court centered, in Connecticut, on the swing vote of Maine’s Republican Senator Susan Collins.
Dozens of people gathered on the steps of New Haven’s Superior Court following the Senate vote on Saturday boo-ed Sen. Collins, whose vote pushed Kavanaugh’s nomination over the top in a 50-48 margin, one of the narrowest ever for a Supreme Court nominee.
As protesters observed a moment of silence, some covering their mouths with red tape, others in the state celebrated.
The Family Institute of Connecticut, a socially conservative organization opposing abortion, had launched an email campaign targeting Collins’ vote last week. Peter Wolfgang, their Executive Director, applauded the efforts of around 300 Connecticut residents he said successfully swayed the Senator to vote ‘yes’ for Kavanaugh.
“The pro-life community here in the state of Connecticut played a pivotal role in this,” Wolfgang said. “We’re absolutely thrilled.”
A number of the protesters taking turns at the megaphone in New Haven, both men and women, identified as survivors of sexual violence.
“My heart is broken for Dr. Blasey Ford, who out of a heroic sense of patriotism, bravely told her story in the face of her greatest fears,” said Laura Cordes, the Executive Director of the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence.
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Both sides are now turning their attention towards the upcoming November elections.
“On November 6, this battle is on. I look forward to meeting everybody on the front lines,” Brittney Yancy, Connecticut ambassador to the United States of Women, said at the protest.
Wolfgang said the controversy surrounding Kavanaugh’s confirmation process has galvanized the right.
“There’s a lot of outrage on the conservatives' side and you’re going to be in for some surprises this election cycle,” he said.
