CONNECTICUT, USA — Sen. Richard Blumenthal on Thursday beat Trump-backed Republican challenger Leora Levy to secure a third term in the U.S. Senate.
During his victory speech, Blumenthal said he had "so many thanks to give" and he vowed "to continue fighting tirelessly, relentlessly against special interests...It has never been more important than now."
"And in case anybody had any doubt, I am fired up, I'm ready to fight, and we begin now to keep going, working and fighting for the people of Connecticut," Blumenthal said.
Blumenthal focused much of his campaign on being a backstop for abortion rights in Connecticut and Democratic policies in Washington. Blumenthal vowed to fight any effort in Congress to impose a national abortion ban that would override Connecticut’s current law. Abortion is legal in Connecticut with restrictions.
He also warned democracy would be at risk if the GOP gained control of the U.S. Senate.
Levy, in a speech to her supporters, conceded to Blumenthal and vowed to not stop "fighting for you."
"This campaign has come to an end... I called Sen Blumenthal to congratulate him on his victory," Levy said to her supporters on Tuesday night.
"We are blessed to live in the greatest nation on earth, and we will never stop fighting for our country. May God bless you, and may God bless America," she ended.
In 2010, Blumenthal was first elected to the U.S. Senate and was reelected in 2016. He has served in this position ever since. The run came after five terms (20 years) of serving as Connecticut's attorney general.
Some moderate Republicans predicted that Blumenthal, 76, would sail to victory after Levy won her party’s primary in August. Party leaders had originally hoped Klarides, who supports abortion rights, would be a strong contender, especially after Blumenthal registered his lowest job approval rating since taking office in 2011 in a Quinnipiac poll conducted in May.
Levy, who lives in Greenwich, currently serves as the Republican National Committeewoman for Connecticut since 2016. Former President Donald Trump nominated her as the U.S. Ambassador to Chile in 2019.
She has served as finance chair for gubernatorial candidates in recent elections including Tom Foley in 2014 and Bob Stefanowski in 2018, as well as for the Connecticut Republican Party from 2013 to 2015. She has also served on the finance committee for the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Levy had hoped to become the first Republican U.S. senator from Connecticut since Lowell P. Weicker Jr., who served from 1971 to 1989.
With the issues on the table, both candidates are not surprisingly far apart.
Regarding gun control, Blumenthal and the other current U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy has been vocal in their push for more restrictions on gun access.
At the end of July, Blumenthal and Murphy joined eight senators to introduce legislation to combat the increase and proliferation of gun conversion devices.
Blumenthal also recently joined other Democrats in the Senate, calling for the senate to protect access to birth control and reproductive health care following the Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The court's decision threw abortion-seekers back into the land of uncertainty regarding healthcare rights.
The Hartford Courant reported in July that in a mailer to Republicans, Levy described herself as “the only conservative, pro-life, pro-gun woman in this race.”
On Levy's website, she lays out her position regarding the war in Ukraine as well as with Israel and the Middle East. She also voices her stance on inflation and the fight against fentanyl.
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Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
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s such as fighting inflation, cutting taxes and protecting Social Security and Medicare.
He said the nation needs to find its way back to "the common ground that brings us together,” but said it is also facing a dangerous time because of divisions and threats of violent extremism. He alluded to political clashes ahead.
“When the fight comes, I will be there for you. And the fight will be coming. It will be more difficult now than before. But we need to stand together. And I will stand with you to fight for the people of Connecticut,” Blumenthal said.