Bridgeport, Conn. -- While attending the return watch party for (CT-D 4th) Congressman Jim Himes, the crowd is huddled around several TVs with cheers when one of their candidates at a local level wins. Especially when it was announced Connecticut went to President Obama and Congressman Chris Murphy was far ahead of former WWE CEO Linda McMahon. Judging from the long lines at polling sites, it is going to be a long wait.
Earlier in October, while U.S. Senator John McCain stumped for Linda, she told the story that this race for Senate began when she looked at her six grandchildren and felt that this run was her legacy to them. I don't know about them -- they are all young, but I would have been happier with the reported almost $100 million of her own personal fortune dumped over a three-year period to garner two different U.S. Senate seats, first in 2010 when Senator Chris Dodd retired and then again in 2012 chasing the seat vacated by retiring Senator Joseph Lieberman. In the end, her legacy will be that she ran, then lost to Congressman Christopher Murphy.
Maybe it was the incessant commercials ad nauseam or maybe it was the low likability numbers among female voters; either way, she might need to get the message that unlike other states, you can't just decide one day that you would like to be a U.S. Senator based on your business acumen without any public service so to speak.
Election Day comes a week after Superstorm Sandy blew in. Bridgeport, one of Connecticut's largest cities with one of the poorest populations, found resident Zena Galberth voting way out of her way at an alternate location since her usual polling place was closed. Just like so many, she went a week without power and siding ripped off her home, she cleaned out her spoiled food while staying with friends. Without a car and the public transit not working, the first few days were tough on this disabled woman. She told me she was going to contact FEMA and that Congressman Himes' office was going to contact her. The twist is Zena was a poll worker in 2010 when Bridgeport ran out of ballots, forcing an extension for some polling sites and ultimately, a recount.
Still waiting for returns from the 5th Congressional District -- will it be Democrat Elizabeth Esty continuing the Democrat hold or Tea Republican Andrew W. Roraback?