CONNECTICUT
     Nov. 8, 2022 U.S. Senate

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+Richard Blumenthal (D, WF) i
723,864
57.45%
Leora R. Levy (R)
535,943
42.54%
write-ins (2)
80
-

1,259,887

Registered Voters: 2,252,216.  Voters Checked: 1,297,801.
Plurality: 187,921 votes (14.92 percentage points).

 CT Secretary of State




Notes:  Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D), 76, won a third term, defeating Leora Levy
(R), a Cuban-American former commodities trader who was the surprise winner of the Aug. 9 Republican primary.  Former President Trump hosted a fundraiser for Levy at Mar-a-Lago on Oct. 18.  Blumenthal and Levy debated at WFSB Channel 3 studios in Rocky Hill on Nov. 2, hosted by WFSB and CT Insider (>). 

Blumenthal had a huge financial advantage in the race. Open Secrets showed his campaign raised $9.2 million, spent $10.8 million and had cash on hand of $1.3 million, while the Levy campaign raised $2.8 million, including a bit over $1.0 million in candidate self financing (37.4% of total), spent $2.7 million and had cash on hand of $58,134 (>).

August 9 Primaries
Blumenthal was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.   He was first elected to the Senate in 2010, and previously served for 20 years as
Attorney General of Connecticut and six years in the Connecticut legislature.

Republicans endorsed former House Minority Leader Themis Klarides at their state convention in Mashantucket on May 7-8.  Also at the convention, Leora Levy and Peter Lumaj exceeded the 15% threshold, thereby qualifying to run in the Aug. 9 primary. 

Klarides,
an attorney and self proclaimed "loud-mouthed Greek girl," served in the state House from Jan. 1999 to Jan. 2021, winning 11 elections; she was Minority Leader from 2015-21.   Klarides is pro-choice and did not vote for President Trump in 2020.  She initially looked into running for governor, but announced in Jan. 2022 that she would run for Senate. 

Levy, from Greenwich, is the Republican National Committeewoman for Connecticut and has served as finance chair for the Connecticut Republican Party and the gubernatorial campaigns of Tom Foley and Bob Stefanowski.  In 2019 President Trump nominated Levy to be Ambassador to Chile, but her nomination did not come to a vote. 

Lumaj has sought statewide office three times and was the Republican nominee for Secretary of State in 2014.

The three candidates debated on WTNH in New Haven on July 26 (>).  In the closing week, Leadership Now, a super PAC supporting Klarides, ran some ads attacking Levy.  On Aug. 4, former President Trump weighed in with a late endorsement of Levy
(+), and he held a tele-rally for her on the eve of the election (the same evening when his Mar-a-Lago estate was raided by the FBI).  According to unofficial results, of 92,442 votes tallied, Levy garnered 50.6% of the vote, Klarides 40.0% and Lumaj 9.4%. 


Campaign Manager:
Richard Blumenthal:  Max Glass
Campaign manager on Barbara Bollier for Senate (KS), Oct. 2019-Nov. 2022.  Campaign manager on Abdul El-Sayed for Governor (MI), June 2017-Aug. 2018.  Campaign manager on Lisa Blunt Rochester for Congress (DE), Nov. 2015-Sept. 2016.  State director of the North Carolina Voter Registration Project, Aug.-Nov. 2014. Campaign manager on Gordon Eustace Lagana for New Jersey, Apr.-Nov. 2013.  Campaign manager on Tulsi Gabbard for Hawai'i, Feb.-Nov. 2012.  Campaign manager on Colgan for Senate (VA), Sept.-Nov. 2011.  Campaign manager on Libby Garvey for Senate (VA), Jan.-Aug. 2011.  Campaign manager for the Iowa Senate Democratic Caucus, Apr.-Dec. 2010.  Campaign manager on Caputo for Delegate (VA), Jan.-Nov. 2009.  Regional field coordinator in Durham and Orange counties on Kay Hagan for Senate (NC), Aug.-Nov. 2008.  Field organizer on Zack Space for Congress (OH), June-Ag. 2008.  Vice president and co-founder of Indieroots DC, Oct. 2006-Aug. 2008.  Assistant to the deputy campaign manager on Hillary Clinton for President, Jan.-June 2008.  Director of government relations research at Vocus, Inc., Sept. 2000-Jan. 2008.  M.A. in applied politics from American University, 2008; B.A. in American politics/international relations from University of Virginia, 2000.  

Leora Levy:  Christopher Velazco [for the primary]

Trump Victory state director in Michigan.  Deputy state director (from Nov. 2015) and regional director (July-Oct. 2015) at the Ohio Republican Party. Regional director on Heiner-Crosbie for Kentucky, Feb.-May 2015.  Regional director in Oakland Co. (Jan.-Feb. 2015) and field office manager (May-Dec. 2014) for the Michigan Republican Party.   Paralegal, Nov. 2013-May 2014.  Field coordinator on Joe Lhota for Mayor, Oct.-Nov. 2013.  Senior consultant and volunteer director on Ray Perini for Suffolk Co. District Attorney, June-Oct. 2013.  Studied political science and government at Queens College.

 
See also:
Christopher Keating.  "U.S. Sen. Blumenthal is everywhere in Connecticut; GOP's Leora Levy says she is, too."  Hartford Courant, Oct. 30, 2022.

Christopher Keating.  "3 Connecticut Republicans clash in only TV debate for U.S. Senate primary; Levy says Lumaj, Klarides working jointly against her."  Hartford Courant, July 26, 2022.

Dan Haar.  "[Column] Leory Levy — a political insider in U.S. Senate race, not fit to serve CT."  CT Insider, July 20, 2022.

Erica E. Phillips and Andrew Brown.  "CT Democrats nominate Blumenthal, cast themselves as defenders of democracy."  CTMirror.org, May 9, 2022.

Mark Pazniokas.  "CT GOP endorses a social moderate, Themis Klarides, for U.S. Senate."  CTMirror.org, May 7, 2022.

Ken Dixon.  "What to watch for at CT Republican party convention this weekend."  CT Insider, May 5, 2022.

Susan Haigh.  "GOP sees opportunity in 2022 election to defeat Blumenthal."  Associated Press, Apr. 3, 2022.

Ken Dixon.  "GOP leader Klarides heading new PAC to boost party."  CT Insider, Oct. 16, 2020.





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