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Connecticut Primary Sets Up Rematch in Governor's Race

Republican primary voters in Connecticut doubled-down on Tom Foley to be their nominee for governor Tuesday, setting up an election rematch with Democratic incumbent Dannel P. Malloy.

By Neil Vigdor and Ken Dixon

Republican primary voters in Connecticut doubled-down on Tom Foley to be their nominee for governor Tuesday, setting up an election rematch with Democratic incumbent Dannel P. Malloy.

Despite anemic turnout, Foley, 62, fended off a late charge by state Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, who conceded the race to the former diplomat and Greenwich private equity manager shortly before 9:30 p.m.

The beneficiary of wider name recognition outside Fairfield County and the GOP's endorsement, Foley celebrated his decisive victory with supporters at Waterbury's Pontelandolfo Community Club, an Italian-American social club and banquet hall.

The smell of victory blended in with the smell of garlic from an election party spread of sauteed escarole, fried calamari, broccoli rabe and mortadella.

"Change is on the way," Foley said. "Change is coming to Connecticut."

Foley's running mate is still an unknown quantity, with the results of the GOP primary for lieutenant governor between state Rep. Penny Bacchiochi, former U.S. Comptroller General Dave Walker and former Groton Mayor Heather Bond Somers hanging in the balance as of 10 p.m.

"Dan Malloy has had four years to fix things," Foley said. "Most of things under his leadership have actually gotten worse."

Democrats immediately derided Foley's victory as hollow because of the light turnout, which unofficial estimates showed as struggling to reach 20 percent statewide.

"With extraordinarily low turnout, today Republicans showed their lack of enthusiasm for the candidates running," Nancy DiNardo, the state Democratic chairwoman, said in a statement. "For the few Republicans who did show up, they selected Tom Foley, who has run a campaign avoiding the tough questions and totally devoid of specifics and details.

McKinney, 50, the highest-ranking member of the GOP minority in the Legislature and son of the late U.S. Rep. Stewart B. McKinney, narrowly qualified for the primary in the waning moments of balloting during the state party convention in May.

"We fought hard. We came close, but, at the end of the day, Tom Foley ran a better race," McKinney, said in his concession speech.

McKinney, unable to turn his full attention to the race because of his legislative duties and the death of his mother in the spring, promised to cooperate with Foley.

"The goal was to make Dan Malloy a one-term governor and get a fiscally responsible governor," McKinney told supporters at a local restaurant in his hometown of Fairfield.

The highly-anticipated rematch between Foley and Malloy is being handicapped as a toss-up race, with Connecticut's sluggish economic recovery a drag on Malloy's approval rating.

More people responding to the May poll conducted by Quinnipiac University said that Malloy did not deserve to be re-elected (48 percent) than those that did (44 percent).

Foley will try to do what Linda McMahon could not -- win statewide office on his second try.

Often Compared to Mitt Romney because of his management background and staid demeanor, Foley waged a general election campaign that focused on Malloy throughout the primary race.

He paid little attention to rest of the GOP field, which contracted from five other competitors that included Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton to just McKinney.




(c)2014 The Advocate (Stamford, Conn.)

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