NRCC MEMO: CONNECTICUT PRIMARY RESULTS
| TO: INTERESTED PARTIES FROM: NRCC POLITICAL AND NRCC COMMUNICATIONS DATE: AUGUST 10, 2010 SUBJECT: CONNECTICUT PRIMARY RESULTS As recently as 2006, three of Connecticut’s five congressional districts were held by Republicans. In the waves of 2006 and 2008, Republicans suffered heavy losses in the Northeast, and Connecticut was no exception. With the national tide now shifting away from the fiscally reckless Democrat majority, freshman and sophomore Democrats in Connecticut are left playing defense. In a state known for its independent-minded voters, Connecticut’s battleground districts are now held by Democrat yes-men who have done little to differentiate themselves from their unpopular party leaders. With these key voters now fleeing from Democrats in droves, Republicans will be competitive in at least two districts in the Nutmeg State. Challengers: CT-04 (Rep. Jim Himes, D) Prior to 2008, Connecticut’s Fourth District had not sent a Democrat to Washington since 1968. Republican Chris Shays was first elected in a 1987 special election and served more than ten terms in this moderate but traditionally Republican-leaning district in Southwest Connecticut. Freshman Democrat Jim Himes made political independence a cornerstone of his first campaign, hammering Shays for voting with Republican leadership roughly 80 percent of the time. Himes has hardly been independent during his first term in Congress, racking up a party loyalty score of 94 percent – and that’s after cooking the books by voting against meaningless procedural measures. Even worse, the laundry list of Democratic policies that Himes has supported have done little to turn around an ailing economy but have piled a new mountain of debt and taxes onto already-overburdened Connecticut families. With the state’s unemployment hovering around nine percent and the national debt rocketing past $13 trillion, it’s clear that Himes’ record is as ineffective as it is partisan. Himes kicked off his first term by voting for a massive trillion-dollar spending bill laughably labeled as ‘stimulus’ and hasn’t taken his foot off the spending pedal since. After voting down the line for his party’s unpopular big-government agenda, Himes has established himself as a loyal partisan whose rhetoric in Connecticut and actions in Washington rarely match. Even Democrat leaders refuse to take Himes’ rhetoric seriously, quickly batting down his sham ‘deficit commission’ as a political stunt. With that kind of ineffective leadership, it’s no wonder that Himes is constantly hiding from his record. State Senator Dan Debicella built on his impressive performance at the state nominating convention by earning a runaway victory in a three-way Republican primary. A lifelong resident of Fairfield County, Debicella has a background in both business and budgeting – two key elements of a healthy economy that Jim Himes just doesn’t seem to understand. As a small business owner and business consultant, Debicella has gathered real-world experience that is essential to getting the country’s fiscal house back in order. As a State Senator, he has fought for smaller government, co-authored “no tax increase” budgets, and worked with Governor M. Jodi Rell in crafting education policy. Himes leaned heavily on the national tide in 2008, tying himself closely to Barack Obama’s candidacy. But Himes severely underperformed, trailing Obama by nine points in the Fourth District. Now a loyal member of Washington’s Democrat establishment, Himes won’t be able to rely on the coattails that swept him into office to bail him out again in 2010. History: In 2004, John Kerry took 52 percent in the Fourth District while Barack Obama captured 60 percent of the vote in 2008. The district was represented by Republicans Lowell Weicker, Jr., Stewart McKinney, and Chris Shays from 1969 until Himes took the seat in 2008. Geography: The Fourth Congressional District encompasses Southwest Connecticut along Long Island Sound. It is socially and economically diverse, containing some of the wealthiest and poorest cities in the state. It includes the cities and towns of Stamford, Darien, Norwalk, Bridgeport, and Fairfield. CT-05 (Rep. Chris Murphy, D) In 2006, Chris Murphy rode a national wave to victory over longtime Republican Rep. Nancy Johnson and quickly abandoned the Fifth District’s moderate tendencies. After spending his first two terms in Congress consistently voting for his party’s runaway tax-and-spend agenda, there’s little room for Murphy to argue he’s the kind of independent Congressman he once promised to be. Murphy has spent his time in Congress scoping out his next political promotion, repeatedly neglecting the Fifth District in 2010 with an eye toward a U.S. Senate run in 2012. State Senator Sam Caligiuri built off of the momentum of his nominating convention victory to fend off two strong Republican primary challengers. Already battle-tested thanks to a competitive primary campaign, Caligiuri is ready to take the next step toward November. As a state senator and mayor of Waterbury, Caligiuri has proven himself a dedicated public servant who gets results. Caligiuri has worked tirelessly to rein in the budget and create jobs and has fought hard against corruption. While serving as mayor, he led the most aggressive municipal ethics reform effort in Connecticut history. Now he’s ready to take his no-nonsense style of leadership to Washington. History: George W. Bush and John Kerry effectively tied in the Fifth District in 2004 with 49 percent each. Barack Obama carried 56 percent of the vote here in 2008. Geography: The Fifth District encompasses much of the state’s western region, reaching into portions of Central Connecticut. It includes the cities and towns of Danbury, Waterbury, Torrington, Meriden, and new Britain. Statewide Roundup: The following are the unofficial results from Tuesday’s primary election in Connecticut. These results are UNOFFICIAL AND INCOMPLETE until certified by the Secretary of State. DISTRICT NAME RAW VOTE %__ CT-04 (Himes) CT-05 (Murphy) (Source: Associated Press, as of 10:39 p.m.) ###
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