Soon after polls closed Tuesday it was clear that Senator Richard Blumenthal had secured a third term in the U.S. Senate, easily prevailing over Leora Levy, a Republican National Committee member who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
The Associated Press called the race in Blumenthal’s favor just a short time after polls closed at 8 p.m. His victory preserved at least one seat for the Democratic Party. It was unclear if he would return to a majority or a minority as votes across the country continue to be counted.
Blumenthal, a former state attorney general and fixture of Connecticut politics for nearly four decades, pulled off a decisive victory winning another six-year term in the Senate. He took the stage at the Yard Goats Stadium in Hartford at 8:45 p.m.
“I just want to say to all the people who voted for me and who didn’t vote for me, I am going to continue to fight, tirelessly, relentlessly against special interests – no matter how big and powerful,” Blumenthal said.
He said it’s never been more important than now to be a voice for the people of Connecticut.
Blumenthal promised to protect Social Security and Medicare against any Republican attempt to get rid of the entitlement programs.
In May, Blumenthal faced his lowest polling numbers since taking office when a Quinnipiac poll found him with a narrow 45% to 43% approval rating. However, Republican voters nominated Levy in August, providing the Democrat with an opponent with whom he could draw stark contrasts.
Although she had criticized Trump in the past, Levy defeated a moderate Republican candidate, former House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, with the help of the former president’s endorsement. Trump later helped her raise money through a fundraising event at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
And unlike many of the more socially moderate candidates often nominated by Connecticut Republicans, Levy took conservative social positions throughout this year’s campaign. She opposed abortion with few exceptions and sought to cast Blumenthal as a career politician who was beholden to President Joe Biden.
Asked about the former president’s support during a debate last week, Levy downplayed the impact of the endorsement, saying Trump was one of many Republicans who help her fundraising efforts.
A little before 11 p.m., Levy took the stage to thank her supporters at the Republican election results headquarters at the Trumbull Marriott.
“I will not stop fighting for our state, for our freedom and for our great country,” she said. “I feel the weight and the responsibility of the hopes and dreams of so many here in Connecticut who yearn for change. However, this campaign has come to an end. We will continue to work for a more free, a more prosperous and a safer America.”
Levy said she had called Blumenthal to congratulate him on his victory.
“While we have very different visions for America as well as different opinions on policy, I wish him well in the next six years,” Levy said. The comment drew some jeers from the crowd in the Marriott ballroom, but Levy pressed on thanking her supporters, her team and her family.
