Categories: Politics

The Connecticut Senate Race 2012 – Chris Murphy Vs. Linda McMahon Update Nov 3

33 Senate races will be decided in 2012. Many, perhaps most, will not be close. However, quite a few probably will be close. One that may be close is the senate race in Connecticut, where Chris Murphy faces Linda McMahon.

Connecticut politics

In elections for President, Connecticut has been solidly Democratic. Obama beat McCain 61-38. Kerry beat Bush 54-44, and Gore beat Bush 55-38. Recent polls show Obama winning easily, although Connecticut has not been polled much for president. It is unlikely that there will a lot of attention from the presidential campaign.

Statewide, one of Connecticut’s senators is an independent who caucuses with the Democrats (Joe Lieberman, who is retiring) and one is a Democrat (Richard Blumenthal). All of its five representatives in the House of Representatives are Democrats.

The Senate race

Chris Murphy is a member of the House of Representatives. Linda McMahon is a businesswoman.

Chris Murphy: The Democratic candidate for Senate from Connecticut:

Chris Murphy supports a woman’s right to choose. He supported TARP and Obama’s economic recovery package. He is a supporter of the rights of women and gays and other minorities and got 100 ratings from both Human Rights Campaign and the NAACP. He is a strong supporter of public education and got an A rating from the NEA. Murphy is a supporter of protecting the environment, and was rated 97 of 100 by the League of Conservation Voters. He opposes most free trade agreements. Chris Murphy supports Obama’s health care plan and got a 100 rating from the American Public Health Association On the Issues rates her a liberal on both social and economic issues.

Linda McMahon: The Republican candidate for Senate from Connecticut:

Because Linda McMahon has never held elective office, is a former governor and not currently in office, On the Issues has relatively few results for her, although she has said that she is for a woman’s right to choose (but against federal funding) and that she opposes ObamanCare.

The polls:

All polls show a close race but all have Murphy winning. The most recent poll has him ahead, 50-42.

Aug 28 – A Quinnipiac poll has McMahon leading by 3 (likely voters)
Aug 29 – A PPP poll has Murphy up by 4 (registered voters)
Sep 19 – Hartford Courant has Murphy up by 4, but with a huge number of undecided
Sep 22 – YouGov has McMahon by 5
Sep 26 – PPP has Murphy by 6
Oct 5 – Quinnipiac has McMahon up by 1
Oct 10 – Rasmussen has Murphy up by 5
Oct 17 – YouGov has Murphy up by 2
Oct 18 – Siena has Murphy up by 2; PPP has him up by 4
Oct 19 – U. of Connecticut has Murphy by 2
Oct 23 – Hamilton has Murphy by 6; Rasmussen has him by 1
Oct 24 – SurveyUSA has Murphy by 4; Quinnipiac has Murphy by 6; Mason Dixon has it tied
Oct 26 – Gotham Research has Murphy ahead by 6
Oct 30 – Rasmussen has Murphy by 6
Nov 3 – PPP has Murphy by 9

Fundraising

Murphy has raised about $5.6 million and spent $3.1 million. McMahon has raised about $14 million (much of it self-funding) and spent almost $12.0 million.