Murphy Defeats McMahon: NBC

The Presidential race is the biggest race today, but the U.S. Senate race in Connecticut has been at the forefront of the minds of Connecticut voters.

U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, a Democrat, is the projected winner over former wrestling executive Linda McMahon, a Republican, according to NBC News.

They had been in competition for the seat Sen. Joe Lieberman is retiring from after four terms. 

“Tonight, we proved that what matters most in life is the measure of your ideas, is the measure of your determination, is the measure of your friends, not the measure of your wallet,” Murphy said.

Soon after Murphy was declared the projected winner, the state Democratic Party released a statement from Gov. Dannel Malloy.

 Malloy was also at the campaign event and spoke before Murphy took the podium.

“Good for Chris Murphy, good for Connecticut.  Tonight’s victory by Chris shows that we have elections in Connecticut, not auctions," the statement said, in part.

Murphy, of Cheshire, is serving his third term as U.S. Representative for the Firth District. A graduated of UConn law school, Murphy worked in real estate and banking law, then went on to serve eight years in the state General Assembly.

McMahon’s professional biography includes former leadership of World Wrestling Entertainment and an appointment to the state Board of Education in 2009.

McMahon, of Greenwich, gained national attention when she entered the race for Senate.

After conceding to Murphy, McMahon thanked all the volunteers, interns and paid staff who have worked on her campaign.

She said she called Murphy to congratulate him, but asked her supporters to hold those who have been elected accountable.

“It is our responsibility to charge them, to challenge them, to make sure they hear what we say … They work for us,” McMahon said.

In 2010, she lost to then-Attorney General Richard Blumenthal in one of the nation’s most expensive races.

McMahon spent $50 million of her own money and secured 44 percent of the vote, while Blumenthal spent $8.7 million, $2.5 million of which was his own money, and secured 54 percent of the vote.

The 2012 race was another expensive one.

As of the last campaign finance report in October, McMahon has invested $40 million of her own money into her campaign and spent $36 million.

Murphy raised $9.3 million and spent $8.6 as of the October report. He did not run for re-election for that seat.

The last Quinnipiac University poll gave Murphy 49 percent and McMahon 43 percent. In response, the McMahon campaign responded saying the race was a dead heat, citing Rasmussen and Mason-Dixon polls.

Both candidates said the turnout is key in this race. McMahon’s campaign said high turnout in the suburbs will favor McMahon, while high city turnout tends to sway Democratic, and they are seeing higher suburban turnout.

Since early Monday morning, lines formed have formed at many polling sites, including in West Hartford.

In advance of Election Day, Secretary of the State Denise Merrill predicted voter turnout of 75 percent to 80 percent.
 

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