CONNECTICUT, USA — In the 2022 Midterm Elections, incumbent Democrat Sen. Richard Blumenthal is going up against Republican Leora Levy.
According to a Quinnipiac University poll released on Sept. 21, Blumenthal is Levy, 57-40%.
Learn who else is on the ballot this year with these voter guides:
Sen. Richard Blumenthal
Blumenthal started his career as a U.S. Attorney for Connecticut from 1977 to 1981 before heading to the state’s House of Representatives from 1984 to 1987. From there, he moved to the State Senate from 1987 to 1990 and worked as a volunteer attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
Blumenthal was elected to serve an unprecedented five terms (20 years) as Connecticut’s Attorney General.
In 2010, Blumenthal was first elected to the U.S. Senate and was reelected in 2016. He has served in this position ever since.
When it comes to gun control, he and the other current U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy have 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.
“This measure will crack down on dangerous firearm modification devices that threaten public safety,” said Blumenthal. “Access to cheap, easy-to-use conversion tools allows common firearms to be turned into fully-automatic weapons of war. Our legislation will prevent trafficking and seize the profits of wrongdoers intent on causing harm – key efforts needed to address our nation’s gun violence epidemic.”
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.
Blumenthal spoke out against the court's decision when it was handed down:
In overturning Roe, the Court strips women of the freedom to make their own healthcare decisions and puts that power in the hands of the government.
A woman no longer has the right to decide when and whether to bear children. In fact, if Mitch McConnell is in charge, he’ll be leading a national ban on abortion, shredding laws in Connecticut and other states protecting women’s choice
Every American should have the right to decide whether and when to have children. Politicians do not know better than women what kind of care they need from their physicians. The government should never be allowed to dictate decisions about pregnancy that should remain between a woman and her doctor. The government should not be able to impose a forced pregnancy on anyone – especially a pregnancy that is the result of abuse or rape or threatens their life.
In 2020, Blumenthal praised the Supreme Court for blocking then-President Donald Trump's attempts to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The program, put in place by President Obama's administration, allows children brought to the United States by their families, not through the set immigration process, temporary protection from deportation and allows them to work in the country.
"Now they’ll have greater security," Blumenthal said at the time. "But, this decision ought to inspire us to seek permanent and comprehensive reform of a broken immigration system, so they have a path to real citizenship."
A year before, Blumenthal introduced legislation to prevent immigration officers from deporting people living in the country. The legislation would have held immigration officials accountable if they violented their own policies of generally avoiding enforcement in safe areas where immigrations can see refuse like churches, schools and hospitals.
The legislation has not moved out of its preliminary stages.
In March, Blumenthal and other senators introduced the "Big Oil Windfall Profits Tax" act to curb profiteering by oil companies and try to help lower high gas prices. The legislation was introduced in the House where it remains at this time.
You can read more about Blumenthal's legislative proposals on his Senate website.
Blumenthal serves on the Senate Judiciary, Commerce, Science & Transportation, Armed Services and Veterans' Affairs committees. He also serves on the Special Committee for Aging.
Leora Levy
During the August primary, Levy secured the primary win with 51% of the vote, beating fellow Republican candidate Themis Klarides by 11%.
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 serves on the Board of Directors for Stamford-based Soldier Strong. The non-profit group provides essentials for troops overseas and new technology for paralyzed veterans to help get them back on their feet.
Leora graduated from Brown University with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and has lived in Greenwich for 34 years.
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 October 18, former President Donald Trump held a fundraiser for Levy at Mar-A-Lago in Florida.
RELATED: Connecticut looks to secure federal dollars from Inflation Reduction Act to fight climate change
Trump’s endorsement was a key factor in Levy’s primary win, but now experts say this alignment could hurt her odds on the ballot.
Despite attempts to downplay her tie to Trump post-primary, experts say Levy can’t deny her connection. Levy added she’s grateful for Trump's support but says she’s her own person and it’s her name on the ballot.
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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