CT Congressional Election Results: Jahana Hayes Declares Win

HARTFORD, CT — U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy will retain his seat for a second term. The Associated Press called the race at 8 p.m. just as the polls closed. Several other media outlets also quickly called the race for Murphy, which isn't a big surprise.

Murphy, who has generated some national buzz as a potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2020, was leading by a comfortable 15-point margin in the polls leading up to Election Day against Republican challenger Matthew Corey. As of 9:30 p.m. Murphy was up over Corey by a margin of 61 to 38 percent or 30,000 votes.

In the 5th Congressional District Democratic candidate Jahana Hayes declared victory over Republican opponent Manny Santos. She will replace U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty who decided not to run for re-election after a sexual harassment scandal in her office. Hayes will be the first black congresswoman from Connecticut.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Rep. Jim Himes, John Larson and Rep. Joe Courtney are projected to win as well, according to the Associated Press. They were seen as sure bets for re-election.

It will take longer to figure out who wins the Connecticut governor race. Check here for live results of that race.

All eyes are on the Connecticut governor’s race this election, but all of the Nutmeg State’s congressional seats are up for election along with a number of statewide races that could change the balance of power in D.C. and Hartford.

Murphy bested WWE magnate and current Small Business Administration head Linda McMahon in 2012 to secure his seat. Corey founded and owns Advanced Services International, which specializes in high-rise window cleaning. (Patch will have real-time election results tonight. Sign-up for our free election updates here, which include local, state and federal races from all across Connecticut.)

The four Democrat incumbents running for congressional seats are seen as safe bets for re-election. The fifth district is a contest between Democrat and former Teacher of the Year Jahana Hayes and Republican and former Meriden mayor Manny Santos. Incumbent Elizabeth Esty, D-5, decided not to run for re-election after a sexual harassment scandal in her office.

Murphy, his wife Cathy and two sons went to their local Cheshire polling place. He also continued his Election Day tradition of eating lunch at the Torrington Burger King. Corey talked to voters in East Windsor, Enfield, Norwich and West Haven.

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Attorney General

William Tong, Democrat

William Tong has served in the State House of Representatives and chaired the Judiciary Committee. He was a strong proponent of taking guns away from people accused of domestic violence.

Tong comes from the Hartford area where his family owned a Chinese restaurant. He went to Brown University and Chicago Law School where one of his professors was Barack Obama. He is a lawyer with Finn, Dixon & Herling LLP. He now lives in Stamford with his wife and three children.

As attorney general Tong said he would resist any federal laws that get in the way of Connecticut's ability to pass its own gun laws, according to his campaign website.

He also promised to take on the pharmaceutical industry and any others that helped contribute to the opioid addiction crisis.

Sue Hatfield, Republican

Hatfield has been a state prosecutor since 2005. She became a registered nurse after college and eventually went on to earn her J.D. degree at Stetson University college of Law along with a Masters of Laws in Taxation form Georgetown University Law Center. She also served as an aide to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

She was the first state prosecutor to get a conviction under Connecticut's updated human trafficking laws.

She was a public finance attorney with a New York City law firm before becoming a state prosecutor.

She lives in Pomfret with her husband Nick, a recently retired Connecticut State Trooper, her two sons and recently retired K-9 German Shepherd Elvis. While in high school she was a three-sport athlete and played basketball in college. She also competed as a bodybuilder and was an All-American master's discus thrower

Republicans haven't had the attorney general position since 1954.

Peter Goselin Green Party

Goselin has 23 years of experience as a lawyer who has represented labor unions, civil rights groups and community organizations.

Goselin said as attorney general he would take towns to court if their police departments violate people's civil rights. He would also collaborate with organizations to find out what employers are violating minimum wage and other employee-based laws.

He also would encourage courts to recognize the personhood of certain animals such as apes that have certain cognitive abilities.

Comptroller

Kevin Lembo, Democrat

Kevin Lembo is in his second term as state comptroller. He considered running for governor, but ultimately decided to run for a third term in his current position. Lembo is the first openly gay statewide elected official in Connecticut.

Over his tenure Lembo has worked to make the state's payroll, revenue and spending data more readily available to the public.

Lembo voted against borrowing $22 million for an incentive package for hedge fund Bridgewater Associates and $35 million for AQR Capital. He also voted against a $10 million toll study that was pushed by Gov. Dannel Malloy and passed at the State Bond Commission.

He also has worked to stop the unnecessary use of highly expensive speciality drugs for those on state health plans. Some of the drugs which can cost $1,000 or more for a prescription were simple combinations of cheap drugs that already exist in generic or over-the-counter form.

Kurt Miller, Republican

Miller is in his fourth term as first selectman of Seymour where he has run unopposed for the last three terms. During his tenure Seymour's AA- bond rating increased to AA+ as increase the town's fund balance and lower debt ratios. The town's mill rate has remained steady for three years.

Prior to becoming first selectman he worked in the financial services field for a number of companies in Boston and Connecticut.

As state comptroller he said he would serve as an independent voice and challenge the governor on fiscal issues. He accused Lembo of being a rubber stamp for Gov. Dannel Malloy.

Ed Heflin, Green Party

Heflin has more than 15 years of experience on Wall Street. He is an advocate of a public banking platform

Paul Passarelli, Libertarian

Secretary of the State

Denise Merrill, Democrat

Merrill is seeking a third term as secretary of the state. She oversaw vast efforts to make voting in Connecticut an easier process with online voter registration, automatic voter registration through the DMV and Election Day Registration.

She has also worked to secure Connecticut's elections against any potential cyber tampering.

Prior to her time in the secretary of the state office Merrill was a state representative and majority leader of the State House of Representatives.

Susan Chapman, Republican

Chapman served as first selectman and selectman of New Fairfield and hel regional positions including secretary and vice chairman of the Western Connecticut Council of Governments. The town maintained its AAA bond rating during her tenure as first selectman and selectman.

Chapman said she would advocate for relief for unnecessary mandates and bureaucracy as secretary of the state and promote business-friendly growth policies. She would also fairly oversee elections and be a voice for small towns and large cities.

Mike DeRosa, Green Party

DeRosa is a Wethersfield resident who founded the Voter Opportunity Through Election Reform group, according to his campaign biography. The group pushed for a verifiable paper trail in Connecticut's elections where computerized machines print out paper copies that can be used in audits.

He also believes that minor parties are unfairly treated under state campaign finance law and that they are burdened with collecting thousands of signatures to get funding that automatically goes to major parties. He is the co-founder and co-chair of the Green Party of Connecticut.

Heather Lynn Sylvestre Gwynn, Libertarian

Gwyn said that earning one percent of the voter for a state race would allow Libertarians to get a spot on the ballot without gathering 7,500 signatures, which takes a considerable amount of time. It would allow the minor party candidates to be on a more level playing field for the next election, according to the Norwich Bulletin.

She said having a third voice in Hartford would help people realize there are more choices than Republican and Democrats and that the current system doesn't work.

Treasurer

Shawn Wooden, Democrat

Wooden is a partner at law firm Day Pitney LLP and leads the firms public pension plan investment practice.

He grew up in Hartford and attended Manchester schools and went on to work in the Hartford mayor's office and as Connecticut director of Project Vote. He was previously the president of the Hartford City Council as well.

Thad Gray, Republican

Gray worked as chief investment officer for Abbott Capital Management LLC, a company that manages public pension and other funds. He was appointed to serve on the Connecticut Retirement Security Authority in 2017.

He is a board member of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, a board member of the community National Iron Bank and on the board of the Canaan branch of the Northwestern Connecticut YMCA.

Gray criticized the State Bonding Commission's approval of millions of dollars in what some have described as pet projects. He's also criticized the states $550 million bailout of the City of Hartford and said that the city hasn't reformed its policies enough to fix financial problems.

Jesse Brohinsky, Libertarian

Brohinsky is a resident of Sprague and has worked as a business software developer and in information technology, according to the Norwich Bulletin. He said he is about fiscal responsibility and keeping the state's bills below its revenue.

U.S. Senate

Chris Murphy, Democrat

Chris Murphy is seeking his second term as a U.S. Senator. He served as a U.S. representative in Congress and before that was a state senator and representative.

Murphy is a prominent voice for gun control. He held a 15-hour filibuster in the U.S. Senate that culminated in a vote taking place on gun control after the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Florida. He worked on the bipartisan bill Fix NICS Act of 2017 that penalizes government agencies who don't report information to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

Murphy is also a frequent critic of President Donald Trump. Lately he has been urging leaders to rethink the country's alliance with Saudi Arabia following the Saudi military operations in Yemen and more recently the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Murphy introduced the Choose Medicare Act that would allow Americans and American businesses to buy in to Medicare. He also authored the bipartisan Mental Health Reform Act, which was signed into law in 2016.

Matthew Corey, Republican

Manchester native Corey is a U.S. Navy veteran and founded his own high-rise window cleaning company Advanced Services International, which cleans many buildings in Hartford. He also opened McKinnon's Irish Pub in Hartford during 2002.

Corey is an advocate of allowing consumers to buy health insurance across state lines. He also supports eliminating the Federal Department of Education and giving parents who homeschool their children a tax credit.

He also supports President Donald Trump's plan to build a wall at the southern border and is against sanctuary cities. Corey also said immigration applications should be streamlined to encourage people to use the system instead of going around it.

Richard Lion, Libertarian

Jeff Russell, Green Party

Congressional Races

District 1

John Larson, Democrat

Jennifer Nye, Republican

Thomas McCormick, Green Party

District 2

Joe Courtney, Democrat

Danny Postemski Jr., Republican, who said he has essentially given upon running.

Daniel Reale, Libertarian Party

Michelle Louise Bicking, Green Party

District 3

Rosa DeLauro, Democrat

Angel Cadena, Republican

District 4

Jim Himes, Democrat

Harry Arora, Republican

District 5

Jahana Hayes, Democrat

Manny Santos, Republican