2010 United States Senate election in Connecticut

none March 2026 July 2021 December 2017 2010 United States Senate election in Connecticut Connecticut presidential Yes 2004 United States Senate election in Connecticut 2004 2016 United States Senate election in Connecticut 2016 45.9% (voting eligible)http://elections.gmu.edu/Turnout_2010G.html 2010 General Election Turnout Rates George Mason University Dr. Michael McDonald February 4, 2012 July 9, 2013 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20130722145358/http://elections.gmu.edu/Turnout_2010G.html July 22, 2013 November 2, 2010 150x150px Richard Blumenthal at West Hartford library opening (cropped).jpg Richard Blumenthal Democratic Party (United States) Working Families 636,040 55.16% Linda McMahon Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic.jpg Linda McMahon Republican Party (United States) 498,341 43.22% 220px County results 220px Municipality results 220px Congressional district results Blumenthal: #a5b0ff 40–50% #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584cde 70–80% #3933e5 80–90%McMahon: #ffb2b2 40–50% #e27f7f 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70% U.S. Senator Chris Dodd Democratic Party (United States) Richard Blumenthal Democratic Party (United States) The 2010 United States Senate election in Connecticut was a midterm election which took place on November 2, 2010, to decide a Class III Senator from the State of Connecticut to join the 112th United States Congress. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Chris Dodd suffered from dropping approval ratings in the past few years due to major controversies, leading him to announce in January 2010 that he would retire, instead of seeking a sixth term.Chris Dodd Announces Retirement, Says "None of Us is Irreplaceable" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chris-dodd-announces-retirement-says-none-of-us-is-irreplaceable CBS News December 15, 2017 Richard Blumenthal, incumbent State Attorney General, announced on the same day that he would run for Dodd's seat.http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-richard-blumenthal-chris-dodd-0106,0,2997693.story Christopher J. Dodd : Christopher J. Dodd News and Photos Courant.com June 10, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100109115121/http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-richard-blumenthal-chris-dodd-0106,0,2997693.story January 9, 2010 dead mdy-all The Connecticut Democratic Party nominated Blumenthal on May 21. Businesswoman and future Secretary of Education Linda McMahon won the state party's nominating convention and the August 10 Republican primary to become the Republican candidate.http://blogs.courant.com/capitol_watch/2010/08/connecticut-primaries-state-ho.html Connecticut Primaries: Results Hartford Courant August 10, 2010 August 12, 2010 https://archive.today/20120707160002/http://blogs.courant.com/capitol_watch/2010/08/connecticut-primaries-state-ho.html July 7, 2012 dead mdy-all This was the first open Senate seat in Connecticut since 1980, when Dodd was first elected. Blumenthal was the only non-incumbent Democrat to win a non-special election in 2010. Background Controversies Chris Dodd's power and popularity may have deteriorated for at least three reasons since his last re-election: His poor performance in his bid for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination appears to have soured local voters.Quinnipiac University - Office of Public Affairs http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1296.xml?ReleaseID=1163 Connecticut (CT) Poll * March 27, 2008 * Independent Voters Give Obama - Quinnipiac University – Hamden, Connecticut Quinnipiac.edu March 27, 2008 June 10, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100529092516/https://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1296.xml?ReleaseID=1163 May 29, 2010 dead mdy-all Dodd was criticized for moving to Iowa and neglecting his Senate duties to pursue what many in Connecticut saw as a hopeless campaign. That poll, showing Dodd's job approval at 51% was taken before the scandals. Dodd received mortgage loans as part of the "Friends of Angelo Mozilo" program run by subprime mortgage lender Countrywide Financial. The Hartford Courant reported that Dodd had taken a "major credibility hit" from this scandal. A later poll in September 2008 showed Dodd's job approval declining to 43%, with 46% terming his job performance as "fair" or "poor".http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-ctpoll0926.artsep26,0,4404922.story Topic Galleries Courant.com June 10, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20080930064212/http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-ctpoll0926.artsep26,0,4404922.story September 30, 2008 dead mdy-all On March 18, Dodd admitted responsibility for adding provisions in the 2009 stimulus package that allowed for controversial employee bonuses. He had previously denied responsibility, saying the Administration pushed for the bonus clauses. Dodd only admitted wrongdoing after an unnamed source within the Treasury Department provided insider information to CNN.http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/18/breaking-i-was-responsible-for-bonus-loophole-says-dodd BREAKING: I was responsible for bonus loophole, says Dodd CNN.com CNN March 18, 2009 March 19, 2009 March 21, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090321073142/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/18/breaking-i-was-responsible-for-bonus-loophole-says-dodd/ dead On March 19, after Dodd came forward, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner took full responsibility, saying he pushed Dodd against executive bonus limits.http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/19/geithner-treasury-pushed-for-bonus-loophole Geithner: Treasury pushed for bonus loophole CNN.com CNN March 19, 2009 March 20, 2009 March 22, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090322105016/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/19/geithner-treasury-pushed-for-bonus-loophole/ dead In December 2008, it was reported that Dodd had a little less than $670,000 banked for a re-election campaign, far less than other senators anticipated to seek re-election.http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecgifpdf2/?_28196+29020071245.pdfJuly 2016 InternetArchiveBot yes In February 2009, a poll indicated that Dodd's favorability ratings were slipping, and many Connecticut voters were not satisfied with Dodd's explanations regarding the mortgage.http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1296.xml?ReleaseID=1259 Connecticut's Rell Is Queen Of The Hill At Midterm, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Dodd Has Worst Approval Ever Quinnipiac University Poll February 10, 2009 February 10, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090211182251/http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1296.xml?ReleaseID=1259 February 11, 2009 dead mdy-all On March 17, 2009, the NRSC released a web ad attacking Dodd for his Irish cottage, his mortgage, and his relocation to Iowa in 2007.http://ctlocalpolitics.net/2009/03/17/just-in-time-for-st-patricks-day Just in time for St. Patrick's Day!publisher=Ctlocalpolitics.net June 10, 2010 Election troubles thumb|left|100px|U.S. Senator Chris Dodd thumb|right|250px|Chris Dodd faced rising Disapproval ratings during his Senate term throughout '09 - '10 On March 2, 2009, noted pundit Michael Barone suggested Dodd was "ripe for the picking" in the 2010 election due to the fallout from his various controversies.https://www.usnews.com/blogs/barone/2009/3/2/chris-dodd-is-ripe-for-the-picking-for-gop-in-2010--sen-kudlow-of-connecticut.html#read_more Chris Dodd is Ripe for the Picking U.S. News & World Report Michael Barone March 2, 2009 September 17, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20090410031607/http://www.usnews.com/blogs/barone/2009/3/2/chris-dodd-is-ripe-for-the-picking-for-gop-in-2010--sen-kudlow-of-connecticut.html#read_more April 10, 2009 dead mdy-all Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight suggested that if necessary, another Connecticut Democrat should primary Dodd. Silver rated Dodd as the single most vulnerable incumbent senator up for re-election in 2010.Silver Nate http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/04/should-democrats-primary-chris-dodd.html Politics Done Right: Should the Democrats Primary Chris Dodd? FiveThirtyEight February 4, 2009 June 10, 2010 June 4, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100604025840/http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/04/should-democrats-primary-chris-dodd.html dead On December 10, 2009, the Cook Political Report listed this race as "Lean Republican." Democratic gubernatorial candidate Susan Bysiewicz was quoted suggesting Dodd's yet unannounced re-election bid could be a drag on the candidacies of other Connecticut Democrats in 2010.http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/28159 Dodd yet to declare bid Yale Daily News Zeke Miller March 6, 2009 March 7, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090310001234/http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/28159 March 10, 2009 dead mdy-all Many political leaders speculated Dodd could be persuaded to retire so as to preserve his "senior statesman" legacy.http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/news7733.html The New Guard HartfordBusiness.com Hartford Business Journal Dean Pagani January 19, 2009 January 19, 2009 July 23, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110723074810/http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/news7733.html dead Fellow Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman had indicated that he would have supported Dodd's reelection, despite past disagreements, including Dodd's 2006 endorsement of Ned Lamonthttp://thehill.com/leading-the-news/no-longer-frenemies-2009-03-11.html Frenemies Dodd and Lieberman make nice J. Taylor Rushing The Hill.com The Hill March 11, 2009 March 12, 2009 March 13, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090313045316/http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/no-longer-frenemies-2009-03-11.html dead and Lieberman's support of John McCain's 2008 Presidential Campaign. In fundraising reports issued for the first quarter of 2009, Dodd reported having raised over $1 million, but reported only five contributions from Connecticut residents.http://www.connpost.com/ci_12158273 Only 5 state residents donated to Dodd April 19, 2009 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20090419161401/http://www.connpost.com/ci_12158273 April 19, 2009 Polling A March 2009 Quinnipiac University Polling Institute poll confirmed Dodd's vulnerability. On April 2, 2009, Quinnipiac released a poll indicating Dodd in serious danger of losing re-election, despite the fact that Connecticut is a heavily blue state that President Obama won in 2008 with over 60% of the vote. He failed to attain a 50% level of support against three lesser known possible Republican opponents.http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1296.xml?ReleaseID=1272 Connecticut's Dodd Tied With Simmons, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Voters Say Loosen Pot Laws And Sell Liquor On Sunday Quinnipiac University Poll March 10, 2009 March 11, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090312005219/http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1296.xml?ReleaseID=1272 March 12, 2009 dead mdy-all Silver Nate http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/04/should-democrats-primary-chris-dodd.html Politics Done Right: Should the Democrats Primary Chris Dodd? FiveThirtyEight February 4, 2009 August 14, 2010 August 8, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100808011259/http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/04/should-democrats-primary-chris-dodd.html dead Schaller Tom http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/12/craziness-with-touch-of-nutmeg.html Politics Done Right: Craziness With a Touch of Nutmeg FiveThirtyEight August 14, 2010 August 8, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100808011943/http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/12/craziness-with-touch-of-nutmeg.html dead Former U.S. Congressman Rob Simmons (R) in particular was leading in general election polling with double digit margins, and Simmons reached as high as 51% in a GQR poll.Swanson Emily http://www.pollster.com/blogs/ct_2010_sen_gqr_121517.php Political Surveys and Election Polls, Trends, Charts and Analysis Pollster.com December 22, 2009 August 14, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100130211534/http://www.pollster.com/blogs/ct_2010_sen_gqr_121517.php January 30, 2010 dead mdy-all Notably, Rasmussen Reports had Simmons 48% to 35% over Dodd in December 2009, a thirteen-point spread.http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/connecticut/toplines/toplines_connecticut_senate_race_december_7_2009 Toplines - Connecticut Senate Race - December 7, 2009 - Rasmussen Reports Rasmussenreports.com December 7, 2009 August 14, 2010 Democratic nomination Candidates Richard Blumenthal, state Attorney General Merrick Alpert, former aide to David Walters and Al Gore Lee Whitnum, businesswoman Withdrew Christopher Dodd, Incumbent U.S. Senator, dropped out and decided to retirehttps://www.politico.com/story/2010/01/dodd-wont-seek-reelection-031189 Sen. Chris Dodd won't seek reelection - Alex Isenstadt and Josh Kraushaar Politico.Com June 10, 2010 Campaign Merrick Alpert announced his candidacy to challenge current Senator Chris Dodd in May 2009.Altimari Daniela May 20, 2009 Merrick Announces His Candidacy for the United States Senate https://www.courant.com/news/ctpolitics/merrick-alpert/hc-merrick-alpert-official-0520-2009-story.html Hartford Courant February 25, 2019 Facing grave prospects at re-election, Dodd announced his retirement from the Senate on January 6, 2010. Richard Blumenthal, the Attorney General and former State Senator announced he would be running. Debate Merrick Alpert and Attorney General Richard Blumenthal squared-off in a March 1 debate highlighting important issues. On healthcare, Alpert revealed his support for a single-payer system. Blumenthal explained that pool-purchasing powers should be explored. Alpert presented information as to how insurance rates had skyrocketed in Connecticut since the Attorney General took office. On the topic of war, Blumenthal pledged his support of President Obama's current plan. Alpert expressed that, being a former peacekeeper in Bosnia, he understood what policies work and which ones do not, elaborating that the current one did not. Alpert set out a plan for the withdrawal of troops from the war in Afghanistan. On a question concerning relations with Cuba, Blumenthal explained that it would take time, and that he would put together a panel of Cuban-American people to decide the best course of action. Alpert explained that he would vote on the issue that night.Stuart Christine http://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/ctnj.php/archives/entry/alpert_goes_on_offensive_makes_most_of_first_debate Alpert Goes On Offensive, Makes Most of First Debate CT News Junkie March 2, 2010 October 18, 2010 Polling Poll source Dates administered Richard Blumenthal Merrick Alpert Lee Whitnum UndecidedQuinnipiacQuinnipiac January 8–12, 2010 84% 4% –– 12%QuinnipiacQuinnipiac March 9–15, 2010 81% 6% –– 13% Results Blumenthal won the convention overwhelmingly, disallowing any other candidate to get at least 15% of the vote necessary to get on the primary ballot. Therefore, Blumenthal went uncontested within the Democratic Party and officially became the Democratic nominee.Riz Joe http://blogs.courant.com/capitol_watch/2010/05/merrick-alpert-blocked-from-sp.html Richard Blumenthal Nominated By Acclamation After Merrick Alpert Withdraws; Alpert Initially Blocked From Speaking At Convention - Capitol Watch Blogs.courant.com August 14, 2010 https://archive.today/20120701171928/http://blogs.courant.com/capitol_watch/2010/05/merrick-alpert-blocked-from-sp.html July 1, 2012 dead mdy-all http://www.courant.com/videobeta/?watchId=e35c791d-5cfa-4cc6-be36-f3c5b8ddbe85 5/21 Democrats Nominate Blumenthal For Senate Seat Courant.com June 10, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20110611210436/http://www.courant.com/videobeta/?watchId=e35c791d-5cfa-4cc6-be36-f3c5b8ddbe85 June 11, 2011 dead mdy-all Riz Joe http://blogs.courant.com/capitol_watch/2010/05/merrick-alpert-blocked-from-sp.html Capitol Watch Blog - Connecticut Politics, Political News and Legislation Blogs.courant.com June 10, 2010 https://archive.today/20120701171928/http://blogs.courant.com/capitol_watch/2010/05/merrick-alpert-blocked-from-sp.html July 1, 2012 dead mdy-all Republican nomination Candidates Linda McMahon (campaign) - businesswoman Ethan Book, businessmanLoh Tim http://www.fairfieldcitizenonline.com/default/article/Ethan-Book-announces-bid-for-U-S-Senate-381945.php Ethan Book announces bid for U.S. Senate - Fairfield Citizen Fairfieldcitizenonline.com February 26, 2010 June 10, 2010 July 10, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110710220317/http://www.fairfieldcitizenonline.com/default/article/Ethan-Book-announces-bid-for-U-S-Senate-381945.php dead - petitioned for placement in the Republican primary, but fell short. Vincent Forras, founder and CEO of Phoenix Group and founder of the 9/11 charity, "Gear-Up, Inc." Peter Schiff, securities dealer and investment advisor,Altimari, Daniela (September 17, 2009) "Peter Schiff Launches Senate Run" https://web.archive.org/web/20090923222609/http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-peter-schiff-senate-0917,0,3466805.story September 23, 2009 , Hartford Courant. Retrieved on September 17, 2009. economic adviser to Ron Paul's 2008 presidential campaign. Endorsed by the Tea Party.http://www.rightosphere.com/blog.php?user=Josiah%20Schmidt&blogentry_id=2106 Peter Schiff sweeps Tea Party endorsements July 11, 2010 Rob Simmons, former U.S. Congressman Campaign On February 27, 2009, Commentary magazine reported that various Washington, D.C. Republicans were seeking to get Larry Kudlow, a popular TV talk show host and columnist, to enter the race against Dodd.Jennifer Rubin http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/rubin/56681 What If? CommentaryMagazine.com February 27, 2009 October 1, 2010 State Senator Sam Caligiuri originally planned to run the U.S. Senate, but after doing poorly in both primary and general election polling he decided to drop out and instead run the U.S. House of Representatives in the 5th District. Tom Foley also left the race to run instead for Governor of Connecticut, as incumbent Governor M. Jodi Rell was not seeking re-election. After the Quinnipiac poll that showed him edging Dodd in a potential matchup, Simmons decided to officially enter the race.http://www.courant.com/news/local/statewire/hc-ap-ct-simmons-doddmar15,0,3135783.story Topic Galleries Courant.com June 10, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20090406004308/http://www.courant.com/news/local/statewire/hc-ap-ct-simmons-doddmar15,0,3135783.story April 6, 2009 dead mdy-all Upon his announcement, the DSCC attacked Simmons for his past support of George W. Bush and ties to Jack Abramoff and Tom DeLay.http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/03/dscc-launches-anti-bush-strategy-to-attack-simmons.php DSCC Launches Anti-Bush Strategy To Attack Simmons Eric Kleefeld TPM Election Central Talking Points Memo March 16, 2009 A leading state political blogger, who had endorsed Simmons' opponent in 2006, questioned whether these issues were relevant to the 2010 race.http://ctlocalpolitics.net/2009/03/16/the-buzz-on-simmons https://web.archive.org/web/20171215221451/http://ctlocalpolitics.net/2009/03/16/the-buzz-on-simmons dead December 15, 2017 The Buzz on Simmons Ctlocalpolitics.net June 10, 2010 Simmons suspended his campaign after he lost the convention, but did not publicly endorse McMahon. In late July, Simmons revived his effort with a TV ad reminding Connecticut Republicans that "I'm still on the ballot." McMahon, a billionaire, spent slightly more than $21 million through July 2010. Her two primary opponents each spent slightly more than $2.5 million each.http://www.fec.gov/DisclosureSearch/HSProcessCandList.do;jsessionid=2871DE1165B1B3410FDF83077F084603.worker1?category=stateS_all&stateName=CT&election_yr=2010 2010 House and Senate Candidate List Fec.gov August 21, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20090820050739/http://www.fec.gov/DisclosureSearch/HSProcessCandList.do August 20, 2009 dead mdy-all When the Republican primary was held on August 10, frontrunner and party-endorsed candidate McMahon defeated Simmons and Schiff to become the official GOP nominee for the fall election against Richard Blumenthal. Debates On March 2, 2010, Republican candidates Linda McMahon, Rob Simmons, and Peter Schiff participated in the first debate of the GOP campaign on Fox 61.https://www.courant.com/2010/03/02/the-gop-debate-mcmahon-simmons-schiff-tangle-in-first-televised-match/ The GOP Debate: McMahon, Simmons, Schiff Tangle In First Televised Match Altimari Daniela March 2, 2010 Hartford Courant October 18, 2010 March 9, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100309025816/http://articles.courant.com/2010-03-02/news/hc-mcmahon-schiff-simmons-senate-debate-0302_1_linda-mcmahon-gop-debate-simmons-camp live Polling Poll source Dates administered Rob Simmons Linda McMahon Peter SchiffResearch 2000Research 2000 September 8–10, 2009 38% –– 1%QuinnipiacQuinnipiac September 10–14, 2009 43% –– 2%QuinnipiacQuinnipiac November 3–8, 2009 28% 17% 5%Moore InformationMoore Information December 15–16, 2009 35% 37% 4%Quinnipiac January 8–12, 2010 37% 27% 4%Quinnipiac March 9–15, 2010 34% 44% 9%Research 2000Research 2000 May 24–26, 2010 44% 48% ––QuinnipiacQuinnipiac May 24–25, 2010 23% 49% 11%QuinnipiacQuinnipiac June 2–8, 2010 29% 45% 13%QuinnipiacQuinnipiac July 7–13, 2010 25% 52% 13%QuinnipiacQuinnipiac July 28 – August 2, 2010 30% 47% 14%QuinnipiacQuinnipiac August 3–8, 2010 28% 50% 15% Results Convention State Republican Convention results (first round)ANDY BARR https://www.politico.com/story/2010/05/mcmahon-wins-gop-nod-in-conn-037633 McMahon wins GOP nod in Conn. - Shira Toeplitz and Maggie Haberman Politico.Com June 10, 2010 Linda McMahon* Republican Party (United States) 737 51.76% Rob Simmons* Republican Party (United States) 632 44.62% Peter Schiff Republican Party (United States) 44 3.11% Vincent Forras Republican Party (United States) 7 0.49% Ethan Book Republican Party (United States) 0 0.00% 1,414 100.00% * Denotes candidate met the minimum threshold of 15 percent to appear on the primary ballot Primary thumb|Results by county #e27f90 McMahon—50–60% #f2b3be McMahon—40–50% #ffb380 Simmons—40–50% #ff7f2a Simmons—60–70% Republican primary resultshttp://www.sots.ct.gov/sots/lib/sots/US_Senate.pdf Election Results for United States Senator Office of the Connecticut Secretary of the State September 13, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100826111427/http://www.sots.ct.gov/sots/lib/sots/US_Senate.pdf August 26, 2010 dead mdy-all Linda McMahon Republican Party (United States) 60,479 49.44% Rob Simmons* Republican Party (United States) 34,011 27.80% Peter Schiff** Republican Party (United States) 27,831 22.75% 122,321 100.00% * Rob Simmons suspended his campaign on May 25, 2010 but left his name on the ballot.http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Simmons-ends-campaign-but-stays-on-ballot-499060.php Simmons: Grudging retreat, but no surrender - Connecticut Post Ctpost.com May 25, 2010 June 10, 2010 On July 29, he re-entered the race.Choe Jaywon http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20012079-503544.html Rob Simmons Says He's Back in Connecticut Senate Race - Political Hotsheet CBS News July 29, 2010 August 14, 2010 August 2, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100802025908/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20012079-503544.html dead ** Peter Schiff collected 10,000 signatures to be placed on the ballot via petition.http://www.middletownpress.com/articles/2010/06/04/news/doc4c08681a006c1330941565.txt Poll shows Blumenthal regaining lead - The Middletown Press : Serving Middletown, CT The Middletown Press June 10, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20120305003746/http://www.middletownpress.com/articles/2010/06/04/news/doc4c08681a006c1330941565.txt March 5, 2012 dead mdy-all General election Two months prior to the general election, observers projected a "vicious contest" due to national committees having to focus attention and resources on Blumenthal's campaign due to revelations made in May that he had served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War (in reality, he had served in the Marine Corps Reserves for six years while receiving multiple deferments that kept him out of Vietnam).Condon Stephanie May 24, 2010 Richard Blumenthal Apologizes for Exaggerating Military Service https://www.cbsnews.com/news/richard-blumenthal-apologizes-for-exaggerating-military-service/ CBS.com New York, NY In contrast, McMahon was being labeled as CEO of WWE where "under her watch, violence was peddled to kids [and] steroid abuse was rampant".https://www.politico.com/story/2010/08/mcmahons-millions-buy-tight-win-040934 Politico McMahon's millions buy tight win Maggie Haberman Shira Toeplitz August 10, 2010 While Blumenthal's lead in the polls plummeted to three points in September, he was billed as being up by 12 points in October. By election day, McMahon was reported as having spent over $40 million on her campaign (roughly over nine times the amount of Blumenthal), which was more money spent than any other Senate candidate that year. Despite this, Blumenthal was viewed by voters in exit polls as "honest and trustworthy" based on his prior record that proved more attractive to voters than McMahon's billing as a successful businesswoman; the two candidates essentially split the independent vote while Blumenthal won the female vote and McMahon narrowly won the male vote.https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-richard-blumenthal-defeated-linda-mcmahon/ How Richard Blumenthal Defeated Linda McMahon Doug Schwartz November 2, 2010 CBS NewsLinda McMahon Spends $40 Million but Lags in Connecticut Race ABC News https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/2010_Elections/linda-mcmahon-spends-40m-cash-wealthy-candidates-lags/story?id=11930943 Candidates Richard Blumenthal (D), state Attorney General John Mertens (CFL), professor of engineeringhttp://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2010/01/us-senate-candidate-john-mertens-gains-ballot-line-in-ct US Senate candidate John Mertens gains ballot line in CT Independent Political Report June 10, 2010 Warren Mosler (I), economist and entrepreneurhttps://www.courant.com/2010/07/27/simmons-i-am-running-for-us-senate/ Simmons: 'I Am Running' For U.S. Senate - Hartford Courant Articles.courant.com July 27, 2010 August 14, 2010 July 31, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100731090638/http://articles.courant.com/2010-07-27/news/hc-ct-senate-debate-0728-20100727-12_1_linda-mcmahon-connecticut-for-lieberman-party-john-mertens live "Meet 2010's Tea Party Democrats," The New Republic, October 27, 2010. Linda McMahon (R), businesswoman Debates The first debate between Linda McMahon and Richard Blumenthal in the 2010 Senate race occurred on October 4, 2010,https://www.foxnews.com/politics/blumenthal-takes-populist-approach-in-lively-debate-with-mcmahon-the-ceo/ Blumenthal Takes Populist Approach in Lively Debate With McMahon the CEO FoxNews.com October 4, 2010 October 5, 2010 moderated by Fox News Channel anchor Bret Baier and televised live on Fox Connecticut. In the debate, McMahon identified Blumenthal as a career politician, touted her job creation record while CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, criticized Washington partisanship for Republicans not being invited to the negotiating table during healthcare reform discussions in Congress, and stated that remaining stimulus dollars were a waste that should now be used to pay down debt. Blumenthal as well criticized partisanship, saying that he would have sided with Republicans who voted against the Troubled Assets Relief Program. He also used the debate to argue that middle class tax cuts should not have to wait for current tax rates on top income earners to be extended, stated that he would oppose special interests in Washington, and criticized McMahon for outsourcing WWE products overseas. Complete video of debate, October 4, 2010 The Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce, Bridgeport Regional Business Council, and Business Council of Fairfield County sponsored a second debate in Norwalk on October 7. It was aired on News 12 Connecticut.http://www.norwalkplus.com/nwk/information/nwsnwk/publish/politics/BCFC-announces-debates-for-state-and-national-offices_np_9921.shtml NorwalkPlus.com News - BCFC announces debates for state and national offices September 23, 2010 October 3, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20111003225016/http://www.norwalkplus.com/nwk/information/nwsnwk/publish/politics/BCFC-announces-debates-for-state-and-national-offices_np_9921.shtml dead Complete video of debate, October 7, 2010 A third debate between McMahon and Blumenthal was held on October 12,https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mcmahon-blumenthal-has-difficulty-with-truth/ McMahon: Blumenthal Has Difficulty with "Truth" Associated Press October 12, 2010 October 13, 2010 CBS News aired on WTNH sister network MyTV9. Complete video of debate, October 12, 2010 Predictions Source Ranking As of Cook Political Reporthttp://cookpolitical.com/senate Senate Cook Political Report October 26, 2010 Lean D October 26, 2010 Rothenberghttp://rothenbergpoliticalreport.com/ratings/senate Senate Ratings Rothenberg Political Report October 26, 2010 Likely D October 22, 2010 RealClearPoliticshttp://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2010/senate/2010_elections_senate_map.html Battle for the Senate RealClearPolitics October 26, 2010 Lean D October 26, 2010 Sabato's Crystal Ballhttp://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/category/2010-senate 2010 Senate Ratings Sabato's Crystal Ball October 26, 2010 October 28, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20101028092918/http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/category/2010-senate/ dead Lean D October 21, 2010 CQ Politicshttp://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=ratings-senate Race Ratings Chart: Senate CQ Politics October 26, 2010 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20101028234525/http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=ratings-senate October 28, 2010 Lean D October 26, 2010 Polling Poll source Dates administered RichardBlumenthal (D) LindaMcMahon (R)Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling January 4–5, 2010 60% 28%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports January 6, 2010 58% 34%YouGovPolimetrixYouGovPolimetrix January 6–11, 2010 47% 35%Quinnipiac January 8–12, 2010 64% 23%Daily Kos/Research 2000Daily Kos/Research 2000 January 11–13, 2010 56% 34%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports February 1, 2010 56% 36%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports March 2, 2010 60% 31%Quinnipiac March 9–15, 2010 61% 28%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports April 7, 2010 55% 35%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports May 4, 2010 52% 39%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports May 18, 2010 48% 45%Quinnipiac May 24–25, 2010 56% 31%Daily Kos/Research 2000Daily Kos/Research 2000 May 24–26, 2010 52% 33%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports June 1, 2010 56% 33%Quinnipiac June 2–8, 2010 55% 35%Quinnipiac July 7–13, 2010 54% 37%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports July 15, 2010 53% 40%Quinnipiac July 28 – August 2, 2010 50% 40%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports August 11, 2010 47% 40%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports September 9, 2010 53% 44%QuinnipiacQuinnipiac September 8–12, 2010 51% 45%QuinnipiacQuinnipiac September 21–26, 2010 49% 46%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports September 26, 2010 50% 45%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling September 30 – October 2, 2010 53% 41%CNN/Time/Opinion ResearchCNN/Time/Opinion Research October 1–5, 2010 54% 41%Fox News/Pulse Opinion ResearchFox News/Pulse Opinion Research October 2, 2010 52% 42%Greenberg Quinlan RosnerGreenberg Quinlan Rosner October 3–4, 2010 53% 38%CT Capitol Report/Merriman River GroupCT Capitol Report/Merriman River Group October 3, 2010 52% 45%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports October 5, 2010 54% 43%Fox News/Pulse Opinion Research October 9, 2010 49% 43%QuinnipiacQuinnipiac October 7–11, 2010 54% 43%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports October 14, 2010 51% 46%Suffolk UniversitySuffolk University July 2016 InternetArchiveBot yes October 19–20, 2010 57% 39%Quinnipiac UniversityQuinnipiac University October 18–24, 2010 54% 42%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports October 24, 2010 56% 43%CT Capitol Report/Merriman River GroupCT Capitol Report/Merriman River Group October 24–26, 2010 52% 44%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling October 27–29, 2010 54% 43%Quinnipiac UniversityQuinnipiac University October 25–31, 2010 53% 44%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports October 31, 2010 53% 46% Fundraising Candidate (party) Receipts Disbursements Cash on hand Debt As of Richard Blumenthal (D) $8,690,397 $8,663,221 $27,176 $2,621,525 November 22, 2010 Linda McMahon (R) $50,232,567 $49,942,727 $289,839 $500,000 November 22, 2010 Source: Federal Election Commission Results right 300px Swing by county 300px Trend by county Legend #00bdec Democratic —+25−30% #09ceff Democratic—+20%−25% #4bdbff Democratic—+15%−20% #77e3ff Democratic—+10−15% #aaeeff Democratic—+5−10% #D5F6FF Democratic—+<5% #FFD5D5 Republican—+<5% #FFAAAA Republican—+5−10% #FF8080 Republican—+10−15% #FF5555 Republican—+15−20% #FF2A2A Republican—+20−25% #FF0000 Republican—+25−30% 300px County flips Legend Democratic #92c5de Hold Republican #ca0120 Flip United States Senate election in Connecticut, 2010http://www.statementofvote-sots.ct.gov/StatementOfVote/WebModules/ReportsLink/USSenTownView.aspx?Parameter=11/02/2010-General Election Results for United States Senator February 11, 2010 Secretary of the State of Connecticut https://web.archive.org/web/20120313144357/http://www.statementofvote-sots.ct.gov/StatementOfVote/WebModules/ReportsLink/USSenTownView.aspx?Parameter=11%2F02%2F2010-General March 13, 2012 December 17, 2010 dead mdy-all http://elections.nytimes.com/2010/results/connecticut Connecticut – Election Results 2010 The New York Times September 30, 2016 Richard Blumenthal Democratic Party (United States) 605,204 52.48% -13.88% Richard Blumenthal Working Families Party 30,836 2.68% N/A Richard Blumenthal Total 636,040 55.16% -11.20% Linda E. McMahon Republican Party (United States) 498,341 43.22% +11.08% Warren B. Mosler Independent 11,275 0.98% N/A John Mertens Connecticut for Lieberman 6,735 0.58% N/A 724 0.06% N/A 1,153,115 100.0% Democratic Party (United States) By county CountyRichard Blumenthal DemocraticLinda McMahon RepublicanVarious candidates Other partiesTotal votes castFairfield146,92651.6%134,24247.15%3,5551.24%284,723Hartford168,89158.44%115,62840.01%4,4591.55%288,978Litchfield32,82444.98%38,88853.29%1,2671.73%72,979Middlesex36,25855.44%27,99142.8%1,1501.76%65,399New Haven153,37757.97%107,37640.58%3,8281.45%264,581New London49,28657.36%34,81040.51%1,8322.13%85,928Tolland28,63853.11%24,14844.78%1,1372.11%53,923Windham19,84055.3%15,25842.53%7822.18%35,880Total636,04055.16%498,34143.22%18,7341.62%1,153,115 Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Litchfield (largest city: Torrington) By congressional district Blumenthal won all five congressional districts.https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/sots/electionservices/statementofvote_pdfs/2010sovpdf.pdf?rev=3495059e5c27427faa908e102f7f1348&hash=1D6406E85ED073E16A6DEE6113A1FC2E Statement of Vote Secretary of the State of Connecticut May 14, 2025 live https://web.archive.org/web/20250317103520/https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/sots/electionservices/statementofvote_pdfs/2010sovpdf.pdf?rev=3495059e5c27427faa908e102f7f1348&hash=1D6406E85ED073E16A6DEE6113A1FC2E 2025-03-17 District Blumenthal McMahon RepresentativeConnecticut 1 1st 59% 39%John B. LarsonConnecticut 2 2nd 55% 43%Joe CourtneyConnecticut 3 3rd 61% 38%Rosa DeLauroConnecticut 4 4th 52% 47%Jim HimesConnecticut 5 5th 50% 49%Chris Murphy References External links Connecticut Secretary of State - Elections and Voting Connecticut U.S. Senate from OurCampaigns.com Campaign contributions from Open Secrets 2010 Connecticut Senate Election graph of multiple polls from Pollster.com Election 2010: Connecticut Senate from Rasmussen Reports 2010 Connecticut Senate Race from Real Clear Politics Connecticut Senate from The Cook Political Report 2010 Connecticut Senate Race from CQ Politics Race profile from The New York Times Official campaign websites Merrick Alpert for U.S. Senate Richard Blumenthal for U.S. Senate Chris Dodd for U.S. Senate Vincent Forras for U.S. Senate Linda McMahon for U.S. Senate John Mertens for U.S. Senate Warren Mosler for U.S. Senate Peter Schiff for U.S. Senate Rob Simmons for U.S. Senate Category:2010 Connecticut elections Connecticut 2010