Connecticut gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2014

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Connecticut Gubernatorial and Lieutenant Gubernatorial Election

Primary Date:
August 12, 2014

General Election Date:
November 4, 2014

Race rating: Toss-up

November 4 Election Winners:
Dan Malloy Democratic Party
Nancy Wyman Democratic Party
Incumbent prior to election:
Dan Malloy Democratic Party
Nancy Wyman Democratic Party
Gov. Dan Malloy
Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman

Connecticut State Executive Elections
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Governor Lieutenant GovernorSecretary of StateAttorney General
Down Ballot
Treasurer, Controller

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State executive offices in Connecticut
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The Connecticut gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2014. Incumbents Dan Malloy (D) and Nancy Wyman (D) were first elected together in 2010 and won re-election in 2014, narrowly defeating the Republican ticket of Tom Foley and Heather Somers for new four-year terms.

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate whom they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Connecticut utilizes a closed primary system, in which only registered party members may vote in a party's primary. However, Connecticut state law allows parties to decide whether unaffiliated voters can vote in their primary before each election.[1][2][3]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

The contest between Gov. Malloy and Republican challenger Tom Foley was a rematch of the 2010 election, with results from that election available in the past elections section. Malloy and Foley were running close in polls during the summer and fall as detailed in the polls section. Learn more about the events that shaped this race by jumping to the race background section.

The defining issue in this race was the state's economic health, which was debated at length by Malloy and Foley. According to Dan Haar of the Hartford Courant, Connecticut's unemployment rate dropped from 7.7 percent in fall 2013 to 6.4 percent in fall 2014 thanks to 26,000 new jobs. These figures did not lead to a surge for Malloy in general election polls for several reasons. The average wage for a Connecticut resident dropped 2 percent from 2010 to 2014 and the Malloy administration pursued numerous economic programs that became targets for Foley and Visconti.[4]

Candidates

General election

Running mates listed together in order of "Governor/Lieutenant Governor"
Democratic Party Working Families Party Dan Malloy/Nancy Wyman (Democrat, Working Families) - Incumbent Green check mark transparent.png[5]
Republican Party Grey.png Tom Foley/Heather Somers (Republican, Independent)[6]
Independent (Unaffiliated) Joseph Visconti/Chester Harris[7]

Lost in the Republican primary

Republican Party John P. McKinney[8][9]

Results

General election

Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngDan Malloy/Nancy Wyman Incumbent 50.7% 554,314
     Republican Tom Foley/Heather Somers 48.2% 526,295
     Independent Joe Visconti/Chester Harris 1% 11,456
     Nonpartisan Write-in votes 0.1% 708
Total Votes 1,092,773
Election results via Connecticut Secretary of State

Primary election

Gubernatorial

Republican primary
Governor of Connecticut, Republican Primary, 2014
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngTom Foley 55.6% 44,144
John McKinney 44.4% 35,282
Total Votes 79,426
Election results via Connecticut Secretary of State.
Democratic primary

Incumbent Dan Malloy ran uncontested in the Democratic primary.

Lieutenant gubernatorial

Democratic primary

Incumbent Nancy Wyman was uncontested in the Democratic primary.

Republican primary
Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut, Republican Primary, 2014
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngHeather Somers 34.5% 26,980
Penny Bacchiochi 33.6% 26,311
David Walker 31.9% 25,014
Total Votes 78,305
Election results via Connecticut Secretary of State.


Race background

Close race ratings in Connecticut

On March 28, 2014, Democratic incumbent Gov. Dan Malloy formally announced his bid for re-election to a second term. He again teamed up with 2010 running mate and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman for the 2014 race.[5] Early on, Malloy was flagged as one of the most vulnerable incumbents of the 2014 gubernatorial election cycle.[10] As the campaign season progressed, the Daily Kos labeled the race a toss-up. The rating was assigned in consideration of a series of polls showing Malloy behind or rivaling Republican nominee Tom Foley in potential general election match-ups.[11][12] The Cook Political Report, meanwhile, consistently rated Connecticut as "Lean D," meaning the race was competitive, but the Democrats had an advantage.[13]

Rematch of 2010 campaign

Malloy won the governorship in November 2010 following a hard-fought general election campaign against Republican Tom Foley, a businessman and former U.S. ambassador to Ireland under former President George W. Bush. The contest ended over a week after the general election took place. There were several reversed calls on the outcome of the race before Malloy finally emerged as the victor.[14] At the May 2014 state Republican convention, delegates endorsed Foley for the second gubernatorial cycle in a row, bringing him one step closer to a 2014 re-match against Malloy. Although Foley was the favorite at the convention, fellow GOP hopeful and state Sen. John McKinney managed to garner enough delegate support to remain eligible for the nomination, preventing Foley from running unopposed in the August 12 primary.[15]

Lieutenant gubernatorial primaries

Incumbent Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman (D) was first elected in 2010 and sought re-election in 2014 alongside Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy. Wyman and Malloy were uncontested in their respective primaries on August 12 and ran together in the general election.

The outcome of the August 12 Republican primary for Connecticut lieutenant governor remained unknown until Wednesday afternoon after election day, when state Rep. Penny Bacchiochi conceded the tight race to Groton Town Council Member and former Mayor Heather Somers.[16][17][18] With 100 percent of precincts reporting, unofficial results provided by the Connecticut Secretary of State showed Somers edging out Bacchiochi by about 780 votes. Third-place finisher David Walker took 32 percent of the vote, roughly 1,000 votes behind Bacchiochi.[19]

Under Connecticut election law, an automatic recount is triggered if the margin separating the highest vote-getters falls within 0.5 percent of the total number of ballots cast; for Somers and Bacchiochi, that meant a difference of 1,000 votes. Bacchiochi rejected the ordering of a recount, however, believing it would only waste time.[16] Delegates of the Connecticut Republican Party voted to back Bacchiochi for lieutenant governor at their convention in May, so the result of the primary was a modest upset.[20]

Somers went on to share the ticket with GOP gubernatorial nominee Tom Foley in the general election battle against Democratic incumbents Gov. Dan Malloy and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman and the unaffiliated ticket of Joe Visconti and Chester Harris.[21]

Independent candidates

One independent candidate, Joe Visconti, appeared on the general election ballot along with Malloy and Foley. Former state Rep. and career political operative Jonathan Pelto also petitioned to run as an independent but failed to collect the minimum 7,500 signatures required to qualify for the race.[22] Pelto backed Malloy's 2010 gubernatorial campaign before breaking with the governor during his first term over his policies on education and taxes. Pelto's 2014 bid gained media attention in August when his candidate petition was signed by Ralph Nader. Nader's involvement in the Connecticut gubernatorial race raised concerns for Malloy and Democratic strategists, who accused Pelto of running in order to impact the election's outcome, not to win office.[23]

Campaign themes

Tom Foley, Dan Malloy and Joe Visconti issued statements on their campaign websites regarding economic plans for the state. The following sections quote their economic positions verbatim from campaign materials:

Tom Foley

Tom Foley has a plan to get Connecticut headed in a new direction. All of Connecticut’s greatest assets, our people, our tradition of hard work, are hamstrung by the policies of this administration. With this plan and new leadership we can get Connecticut back on track.

Restoring A Vibrant Economy

  • Add more high value-added, high paying jobs
    • Focus on supporting seven high potential industries
    • Send the message to employers that we want them here in Connecticut
  • Conduct a ‘red tape review’ to eliminate regulations and paperwork
  • Eliminate the ‘business entity tax’ for businesses with under 50 employees
  • Simplify and expedite approval processes for permitting
  • Develop and market the ‘Knowledge Corridor’ from Enfield to New Haven
  • Invest in our transportation system
  • Require that contracts financed with state funds pay for Connecticut jobs

Making Connecticut More Affordable

  • End mandates and other costs added to electricity bills by Governor Malloy
  • Reduce the sales tax by 0.5%
  • Eliminate taxes and fees that cost more to collect than they generate in revenue
  • Work to lower property taxes
  • Help towns reduce costs so they can lower property taxes

Getting Control Over Spending

  • Hold spending flat for two years
  • Direct every department of state government to find productivity improvements
  • Apply ‘best practices’ and ‘comparative costing’ to reduce costs
  • Invest in improved IT to make government more productive
  • Work with private healthcare providers to lower state healthcare costs
  • End pension fraud and abuse

Reforming Our Tax Code

  • Lower sales tax by 0.5%
  • Eliminate any tax or fee not cost-effective for state to collect
  • Introduce comprehensive tax reform to stop driving away people and jobs
  • Work with cities and towns to reduce property taxes
  • Increase transparency to prevent ‘stealth taxes’

[24]

—Tom Foley's campaign website, (2014)

[25]

Dan Malloy

Dan Malloy and Nancy Wyman’s policies have led to the creation of over 50,000 private sector jobs in Connecticut and unemployment is currently at a five-year low. But they are not satisfied and know there is more work to do. That’s why they are committed to growing that number to over 100,000 jobs and continuing to drive down unemployment over the next four years. Dan Malloy and Nancy Wyman understand it’s about creating new jobs and new opportunities for innovation. That means growing jobs across Connecticut’s economy in areas like advanced manufacturing, communications, financial services, health and bioscience, and the service industry.

Dan Malloy and Nancy Wyman have worked to create the jobs that will keep Connecticut’s economy moving forward and support the middle class. Over the last several years:

— Connecticut’s private sector has added nearly 60,000 jobs from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies.

— Unemployment in Connecticut is at a five-year low.

— Over 16,000 jobs in more than 1,100 small businesses have been created or maintained through grants and low-interest-bearing loans as part of the Small Business Express program.

— Over 1,600 businesses have benefited from Department of Economic and Community Development programs.

— Aid to businesses owned by minorities and women has increased to over $18.3 million.

— More union jobs in fields like construction, trades and energy are being created.

Dan Malloy and Nancy Wyman have found new ways to generate forward-thinking ideas. Connecticut is supporting innovation by:

— Funding early-stage businesses and startups through the Connecticut Bioscience Innovation Fund.

— Investing in CTech business incubators to create technology hubs where startups are cultivated to accelerate their growth.

— Leveraging the expertise of over 500 companies in the state to mentor more than 300 startups through the CTNext program.

— Creating the new $30 million Advanced Manufacturing Fund that will help companies modernize, purchase equipment, develop new technologies, support apprenticeships and provide training and specialized education for workers. The fund will also support an increase in federally-funded research efforts at Connecticut’s universities and colleges.

— Coming up with revolutionary ways to generate more jobs in the state could only come to fruition by having our own fiscal house in order. Despite inheriting a $3.67 billion deficit – one of the worst per capita in the nation – Dan Malloy and Nancy Wyman balanced the state’s budget each year, reduced our long-term debt by over $11.5 billion, implemented Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP) and replenished Connecticut’s Rainy Day Fund, which is now at more than $300 million after being completely depleted by the previous administration.

Thanks to Dan Malloy and Nancy Wyman, Connecticut leads the nation when it comes to protecting and empowering working and middle-class families.

Connecticut was the first state to pass legislation to increase the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. Dan Malloy and Nancy Wyman believe that no one working full-time, especially women raising families, should live in poverty. Connecticut became the first state in the nation to mandate that its 400,000 workers who receive an hourly wage earn five paid sick days per year. No one should choose between seeking medical care or his or her job. [24]

—Dan Malloy's campaign website, (2014)

[26]

Joe Visconti

A sales tax is one of the most regressive forms of taxation, placing a disproportionate burden on lower income families. Our estate tax drives out the very people who hold tax generating assets and wealth acquired over a lifetime.

Joe offers the following creative solutions to these problems while recognizing that the state still needs tax revenue to operate and fund present obligations:

  • Phase out the sales tax on goods over 7 years, indexed and tied to GDP. While residents of surrounding states face sales tax rates as high as 8.875%, an elimination of sales tax on goods in Connecticut will increase sales from out of state consumers, commuters, and tourists. This leads to business expansion, hiring, full-time employment, and increased corporate and small business revenue. With the retention and expansion of business without taxpayer subsidy, Connecticut will be positioned economically to pay down deficits and unfunded liabilities through increased revenue from corporate and income tax. At one point during this economic growth, we will be able to then tackle income and corporate tax.
  • Phase a reduction of the gasoline tax.
  • Eliminate the estate tax which will encourage retirees to stay in Connecticut rather than moving out of state to protect their investments which they wish to hand down to their children. The state would offset this tax reduction with the additional tax revenue on the additional investments held in this state.
  • Reduce government spending through a hiring freeze, a spending freeze, and opting out of many nonessential federal programs.

[24]

—Joe Visconti's campaign website, (2014)

[27]


Polls

Governor of Connecticut: All candidates
Poll Dan Malloy* (D) Tom Foley (R)Joe Visconti (I)UndecidedMargin of errorSample size
Quinnipiac University
October 28-November 2, 2014
43%42%8%7%+/-3.2926
Quinnipiac University
October 22-27, 2014
43%43%7%7%+/-3.4838
Quinnipiac University
October 14-20, 2014
43%42%9%7%+/-3.11,010
Quinnipiac University
October 1-6, 2014
43%43%9%5%+/-31,085
Public Policy Polling
October 2-5, 2014
43%35%9%13%+/-3.3861
Quinnipiac University
September 3-8, 2014
40%46%7%6%+/-2.71,304
AVERAGES 42.5% 41.83% 8.17% 7.5% +/-3.12 1,004
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected].
Governor of Connecticut: Malloy vs. Foley
Poll Dan Malloy* (D) Tom Foley (R)Undecided/OtherMargin of errorSample size
New York Times/CBS News/YouGov
October 16-23, 2014
40%40%20%+/-41,267
Rasmussen Reports
October 14-16, 2014
43%50%6%+/-3980
New York Times/CBS News/YouGov
September 20-October 1, 2014
41%41%18%+/-31,284
Gravis Marketing
August 4-7, 2014
38%46%16%+/-5.0440
Vox Populi
July 27-28, 2014
35%34%27%+/-4.2550
CBS/NYT/YouGov
July 5-24, 2014
42%49%5%+/-5.01,149
Quinnipiac University
May 1-6, 2014
43%43%10%+/-2.41,668
Quinnipiac University
February 26-March 2, 2014
42%42%11%+/-2.31,878
Quinnipiac University
June 12-17, 2013
40%43%14%+/-2.91,154
AVERAGES 40.44% 43.11% 14.11% +/-3.53 1,152.22
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected].
  • Note: An asterisk denotes incumbent status.

Campaign media

Tom Foley

Tom Foley ad: Had His Chance

Outside organizations

Connecticut Forward

Connecticut Forward ad: Too Often
Connecticut Forward ad: Horizon

Ad spending

The Wesleyan Media Project published a report on September 30, 2014, highlighting spending on gubernatorial races from September 12-25. This report found that Democratic and Republican groups spent a total of $46.84 million on TV ads in 15 states with gubernatorial elections. The following chart details the group's findings, including spending amounts and number of ads:[28]

Note: A bolded number indicates the highest total for this category. A number in italics is the lowest total for this category.

Spending on TV ads, September 12-25, 2014
State Total # of ads % Democratic-leaning ads % GOP-leaning ads Total spending-Democratic leaning (in millions of $) Total spending-GOP leaning (in millions of $)
Colorado 2,460 83.1 16.9 1.35 0.39
Connecticut 2,312 61.7 38.3 1.48 0.89
Florida 20,111 38.5 61.5 4.07 6.64
Georgia 4,625 51.1 48.9 1.43 0.99
Illinois 7,793 63.5 36.5 4.17 3.5
Iowa 2,134 47.5 52.5 0.25 0.38
Kansas 5,024 45.7 54.3 0.85 1.17
Maine 3,281 42.3 57.7 0.46 0.32
Michigan 6,767 33.9 66.1 1.14 2.3
Minnesota 1,974 83.9 16.1 0.65 0.29
New York 4,926 61 39 2.18 0.88
Pennsylvania 3,263 50.9 49.1 1.58 1.23
South Carolina 2,883 39.1 60.9 0.33 0.38
Texas 10,330 33.4 66.6 2.24 2.93
Wisconsin 7,374 63.3 36.7 1.36 1.01
TOTALS 85,257 48.2 51.8 23.54 23.3

Past elections

2010

Connecticut Governor and Lieutenant Governor, 2010
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngDan Malloy/Nancy Wyman 51.2% 587,182
     Republican Tom Foley/Mark Boughton 47.2% 540,970
     Independent Thomas E. Marsh/Cicero B. Booker, Jr. 1.5% 17,629
Total Votes 1,145,781
Election results Connecticut Secretary of State

2006

Governor and Lieutenant Governor, 2006
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngM. Jodi Rell/Michael Fedele Incumbent 63.2% 710,048
     Democratic John DeStefano/Mary Messina Glassman 35.4% 398,220
     Green Clifford W. Thornton, Jr./Jean de Smet 0.9% 9,584
     Concerned Citizens Joseph A. Zdoncyzk/Jose E. Garcia 0.5% 5,560
Total Votes 1,123,412

2002

Governor and Lieutenant Governor, 2002
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngJohn G. Rowland/M. Jodi Rell 56.1% 573,958
     Democratic Bill Curry/George Jepsen 43.9% 448,984
Total Votes 1,022,942

Voter turnout

Political scientist Michael McDonald's United States Elections Project studied voter turnout in the 2014 election by looking at the percentage of eligible voters who headed to the polls. McDonald used voting-eligible population (VEP), or the number of eligible voters independent of their current registration status, to calculate turnout rates in each state on November 4. He also incorporated ballots cast for the highest office in each state into his calculation. He estimated that 81,687,059 ballots were cast in the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, representing 35.9 percent of the VEP.[29] By comparison, 61.6 percent of VEP voted in the 2008 presidential election and 58.2 percent of VEP voted in the 2012 presidential election.[30]

Quick facts

  • According to PBS Newshour, voter turnout in the 2014 midterms was the lowest since the 1942 midterms, which took place during the nation's involvement in World War II.[31]
  • Forty-three states and the District of Columbia failed to surpass 50 percent turnout in McDonald's analysis.
  • The three states with the lowest turnout according to McDonald's analysis were Texas (28.3 percent), Tennessee (28.6 percent), and Indiana (28.8 percent).
  • Maine (58.5 percent), Wisconsin (56.5 percent), and Colorado (54.5 percent) were the three states with the highest turnout.
  • There were only 12 states that increased voter turnout in 2014 compared to the 2010 midterm elections.[32]

Note: Information from the United States Elections Project was last updated on December 16, 2014.

Campaign finance

General election

Comprehensive donor information for this election has been collected by Follow the Money. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $15,390,044 during the election. This information was last updated on May 12, 2015.[33]

Campaign Contribution Totals
Candidate Office Result Contributions
Tom Foley/Heather Somers Republican Party Connecticut Governor/Lieutenant Governor Defeated $8,593,923
Dannel Malloy/Nancy Wyman Democratic Party Connecticut Governor/Lieutenant Governor Won $6,780,072
Joe Visconti/Chester Harris Grey.png Connecticut Governor/Lieutenant Governor Defeated $16,049
Grand Total Raised $15,390,044

Gubernatorial primary election

Comprehensive donor information for this election has been collected by Follow the Money. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $1,440,215 during the election. This information was last updated on May 12, 2015.[34]

Campaign Contribution Totals
Candidate Office Result Contributions
John McKinney Republican Party Connecticut Governor Defeated $1,440,215
Tom Foley Republican Party Connecticut Governor Won $0
Dannel Malloy Democratic Party Connecticut Governor Won $0
Grand Total Raised $1,440,215

Lieutenant gubernatorial primary

Comprehensive donor information for this election has been collected by Follow the Money. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $525,002 during the election. This information was last updated on May 12, 2015.[35]

Campaign Contribution Totals
Candidate Office Result Contributions
Penny Bacchiochi Republican Party Connecticut Lieutenant Governor Defeated $463,602
David Walker Republican Party Connecticut Lieutenant Governor Defeated $61,400
Heather Somers Republican Party Connecticut Lieutenant Governor Won $0
Nancy Wyman Democratic Party Connecticut Lieutenant Governor Won $0
Grand Total Raised $525,002

Key deadlines

Deadline Event
June 10, 2014 Filing deadline (Major Parties)
August 6, 2014 Filing deadline (Independents)
August 12, 2014 Primary election
September 3, 2014 Filing deadline (Minor Parties)
November 4, 2014 General election
December 4, 2014 Certificate of canvass completion for general election results
January 7, 2015 Inauguration day for state executive officials in general election

Recent news

This section links to a Google news search for the term "Connecticut + Gubernatorial + Malloy + Election"

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed July 23, 2024
  2. Connecticut General Assembly, "Major Party Nominating Procedures in States With Conventions," accessed July 23, 2024
  3. Connecticut General Assembly, "Conn. Gen. Stat. § 9-431," accessed July 23, 2024
  4. Hartford Courant, "In Economic Battle, It's Malloy's Rising Numbers Vs. Foley's Nagging Malaise," October 26, 2014
  5. 5.0 5.1 Connecticut News Junkie, "Malloy Makes Re-election Bid Official," March 28, 2014
  6. NewsTimes, "Foley: Woman would have helped ticket," January 4, 2013
  7. Connecticut Mirror, Foley keeps GOP off balance with unexpected 'exploratory' announcement, September 10, 2013
  8. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ctgov
  9. CT Post, "McKinney announces run for governor," July 23, 2013
  10. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named governing
  11. The Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections gubernatorial race ratings (2013-14)," accessed August 11, 2014
  12. Only in Bridgeport, "Latest Polls Show Challenging Reelection For Malloy," July 28, 2014
  13. Cook Political Report, "2014 Governors Race Ratings," June 26, 2014
  14. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named hour
  15. The Wilton Daily Voice, "Wilton Republicans Head To Polls Tuesday To Pick Gubernatorial Candidate," August 11, 2014
  16. 16.0 16.1 Eyewitness News 3, "Bacchiochi concedes GOP race for lt. governor to Somers," August 13, 2014
  17. The Associated Press, "Connecticut - Summary Vote Results," August 13, 2014
  18. NBC Connecticut, "Race results: Connecticut Primary Election," August 13, 2014
  19. Connecticut Secretary of State, "Statement of Vote," accessed August 13, 2014
  20. Washington Times, "Lieutenant governor GOP primary too close to call," August 12, 2014
  21. Connecticut Secretary of State, "Candidate List, 2014 General Election," accessed October 13, 2014
  22. theday.com, "Petition process not easy, but works," September 7, 2014
  23. The Hartford Courant, "Nader Signed Pelto's Petition To Get On Ballot," August 6, 2014
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  25. Foley for Connecticut, "Restoring Pride and Prosperity in Connecticut," accessed October 14, 2014
  26. Dan Malloy for Connecticut, "Progress on the Economy," accessed October 14, 2014
  27. Visconti for Governor, "Tax Reform," accessed October 14, 2014 (dead link)
  28. Wesleyan Media Project, "GOP Groups Keeping Senate Contests Close," September 30, 2014
  29. United States Elections Project, "2014 November General Election Turnout Rates," November 7, 2014
  30. TIME, "Voter Turnout in Midterm Elections Hits 72-Year Low," November 10, 2014
  31. PBS, "2014 midterm election turnout lowest in 70 years," November 10, 2014
  32. U.S. News & World Report, "Midterm Turnout Down in 2014," November 5, 2014
  33. Follow the Money, "Overview of Connecticut 2014 elections," accessed May 12, 2015
  34. Follow the Money, "Overview of Connecticut 2014 elections," accessed May 12, 2015
  35. Follow the Money, "Overview of Connecticut 2014 elections," accessed May 12, 2015