HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - The Latest on Election Day in Connecticut (all times local):
11:10 p.m.
Voters in northwest Connecticut are sending U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty back to the House for a third term.
The Democrat on Tuesday defeated three-term Sherman First Selectman Clay Cope, a Republican.
Gun control was an issue that often divided the candidates in the 5th Congressional District, which includes Newtown. While Esty has pushed for background checks and other gun control measures, Cope has been skeptical about the need for additional laws.
Esty, who lives in Cheshire, said Cope is “woefully ill-informed” about gun violence and the victims who have died since the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Esty raised far more money for her campaign than her opponent. As of Oct. 19, she had $1 million cash on hand compared to Cope’s $23,546.
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9:30 p.m.
Hillary Clinton has won Connecticut’s vote for president.
The state’s seven electoral votes all go to the Democrat in her contest against Republican nominee Donald Trump.
Both candidates campaigned in Connecticut during their primary contests, but the Democrat-leaning state did not receive nearly the amount of attention as battleground states during the general campaign.
Connecticut now has voted for the Democratic candidate in each of the last seven presidential elections, going back to Bill Clinton’s campaign in 1992.
Registered Democrats far outnumber Republicans in the state, but the unaffiliated account for the state’s biggest category of voters.
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9:30 p.m.
Secretary of the State Denise Merrill says nearly 30,000 people were able to both register to vote and cast ballots on Election Day.
She noted Tuesday night that many people missed the 8 p.m. deadline, the same deadline for voting. There were reports of people who waited in long lines to register and were angered when time ran out.
Merrill says “the law is clear.” In order to vote in Connecticut, someone must be registered by 8 p.m.
She says the procedures were set by the General Assembly for a reason and she welcomes reconsideration “of this or any other law that may restrict someone’s ability to vote.” Merrill, a Democrat, says she also invites a discussion of how to expand opportunities for voting, including early voting.
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9 p.m.
A Connecticut doctor who survived a 2007 home invasion that took the lives of his family has declared victory in his race for a seat in the state legislature.
Republican William Petit was running against 11-term Democrat state Rep. Betty Boukus, who has conceded defeat. Petit says he ran as a fiscal conservative, not a crime victim, for the seat representing Plainville and part of New Britain in central Connecticut.
Boukus (BOH-kiss) serves as House chair of the powerful bonding subcommittee.
The race received heightened attention this month when a labor union’s political action committee ran an internet ad that tried to link Petit to Republican Donald Trump and “attacks on women and families.”
Boukus says she was horrified by the ad, which led to the resignation of the union official who authorized it.
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8:45 p.m.
U.S. Rep. Jim Himes has been re-elected to a fourth term in the House.
The Democrat on Tuesday defeated Republican state Rep. John Shaban of Redding, an attorney who’s served in the Connecticut General Assembly since 2011.
The 50-year-old Himes is a former Goldman Sachs & Co. banker from Greenwich. He touted his efforts to create financial regulatory reform, help improve the economy and support more funding to improve roads, bridges and rail lines.
Shaban questioned Himes’ effectiveness in Congress, including his unsuccessful efforts to pass gun control legislation. Shaban called Himes’ participation in a sit-in over gun legislation “useless histrionics.” Himes has said symbolic actions will prompt real change.
The Himes campaign had $2.29 million cash on hand on Oct. 19 compared to Shaban’s $23,823.
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8:45 p.m.
U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro is returning to the House for a 14th term.
The Democrat from New Haven on Tuesday defeated Angel Cadena Jr., a Marine Corps veteran and truck driver from Shelton.
DeLauro said during the campaign she’s fighting to help families struggling financially. She called for making college more affordable and increasing the minimum wage. She also advocated creation of a national infrastructure bank, which she says would take politics out of the process for funding projects.
Cadena’s campaign was unable to afford yard signs and touted his underdog status. Cadena said on his Facebook page he was on a quest “to break through the glass ceiling that has defined the limitations of individual liberty.”
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8:40 p.m.
U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney has fended off three challengers to win a sixth term representing eastern Connecticut.
The Democrat from Vernon has represented the 2nd Congressional District since 2007. He bested Republican Daria Novak, Green Party candidate Jonathan Pelto and Libertarian Daniel Reale on Tuesday.
During the campaign, Courtney touted his efforts to boost production of Virginia-class fast attack submarines at the Electric Boat shipyard in Groton from one to two per year. His supporters have since nicknamed the House Armed Services Committee member “Two Sub Joe.”
Courtney also noted his efforts to work with Republicans, including U.S. Sen. John McCain, to introduce legislation to help veterans and active duty military work as public school teachers.
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8:40 p.m.
Veteran U.S. Rep. John Larson has won re-election to a 10th term in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Democrat on Tuesday fended off challenges from Republican Matt Corey and Green Party candidate Mike DeRosa.
Larson was heavily favored to win the race for the seat in the district located in a heavily Democratic part of Connecticut. He touted proposals such as expanding national service opportunities for students in exchange for forgiving college debt and requiring universal background checks for guns sales.
Larson said he’s also working to bring more jobs to places such as Hartford’s North End. Corey challenged him on that, questioning whether voters are any better off than they were 18 years ago when Larson was first elected.
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8 p.m.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut is returning to Washington for a second six-year term.
The Democrat on Tuesday easily fended off a challenge from Republican Dan Carter, a state representative from Bethel.
This year’s race did not receive nearly as much attention as the 2010 contest, when Blumenthal faced wealthy former professional wrestling executive Linda McMahon. She spent about $50 million of her own money, deluging voters with television ads and mailers.
Carter has had few resources to wage such a battle. As of Sept. 30, he had $35,014 in cash on hand. Blumenthal had $4.7 million.
Blumenthal and Carter faced off in only one debate. While agreeing on some issues, including abortion rights, they differed on how best to address gun violence.
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7:45 p.m.
An injured New London man has been able to vote, thanks to local poll workers who brought him a ballot as he waited for an ambulance.
The man tripped and fell as he walked into the polling place Tuesday at Nathan Hale Arts Magnet School. Martha Marx, a city councilor and visiting nurse, told The Day of New London (https://bit.ly/2flrtcm ) “there was blood everywhere.”
She pulled off a campaign T-shirt for a legislative candidate and applied it to the unnamed man’s head while a local resident fetched a first aid kit from his car.
Marx says the man insisted he wanted to vote, so the assistant Republican and Democratic registrars of voters brought out ballots to the man and his wife. They say the process complied with state law.
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6:10 p.m.
Secretary of the State Denise Merrill says more than 20,000 people have used Connecticut’s same-day voter registration law as of 5 p.m.
This year marks the first presidential election in Connecticut where people have been able to register to vote on the same day as Election Day, so long as they meet the state’s eligibility requirements and are not already registered elsewhere.
Each city and town in Connecticut has a designated Election Day location, where people can register on Tuesday until 8 p.m., the same time voting ends. Registrants have to provide proof of identity and residency.
Merrill says there have been reports of long lines at some polling places and jammed machines. Merrill predicts Connecticut could exceed its typical 70-to-75 percent voter turnout in presidential elections.
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5 p.m.
Danbury’s Republican Mayor, Mark Boughton, says as a moderate he had a difficult time deciding who to vote for in the presidential race.
On Tuesday, Boughton tweeted a picture of his dog, Ellie Mae, saying he planned to vote for her and “Make The Dog Pound Great Again.”
Boughton, considered a leading contender for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2018, said he was just trying to bring a little levity into what has been a contentious campaign for president.
When asked who he actually voted for, Boughton said he “voted for Mike Pence to be vice president of the United States.”
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3:40 p.m.
Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill says about 9,000 people have taken advantage so far of same-day voter registration.
Merrill said officials expected the number to be high, but the amount of people who registered by 12 p.m. Tuesday was surprising.
Voter registration in Connecticut has topped 2.1 million people, a record. Merrill expected turnout to be around 75 percent, about the same as in 2012.
The state’s Election Day registration law allows any eligible voter in Connecticut to register and vote in person on Election Day. People who want to vote must provide proof of identity and residency.
A list of Election Day registration sites is available at myvote.ct.gov.
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3 p.m.
Connecticut officials are reporting a brisk turnout and some problems on Election Day.
Secretary of the State Denise Merrill expected voter turnout of about 75 percent Tuesday, about the same as it was in 2012. But officials say observations at polling places indicate the turnout number could end up being higher.
Merrill’s spokesman, Patrick Gallahue, says some wrong ballots were delivered to a polling place in northern Hartford, but the problem was detected quickly and few if any ballots had to be corrected.
Long lines were reported in New Haven, and Merrill advised city officials to get extra staff.
Officials also reported a few voting machines broke down in some towns.
Gallahue says more than 9,000 people took advantage of same-day voter registration Tuesday.
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10:40 a.m.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal faces a much different opponent than he did six years ago.
In 2010, wealthy former professional wrestling executive Linda McMahon spent about $50 million of her own money on her Republican campaign for the seat. This year, Blumenthal is being challenged by Republican Dan Carter, a little-known state representative from Bethel.
While Carter has been busy on the campaign trail, making appearances at fairs and festivals, he hasn’t had the money to run a litany of TV ads like McMahon. As of Sept. 30, he had $35,014 cash on hand. Blumenthal, who is seeking his second term, had $4.7 million.
The pair only appeared together in one debate - a live television matchup where they disagreed on gun control measures.
The election is Tuesday.
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10:30 a.m.
A Connecticut doctor who survived a 2007 home invasion that took the lives of his wife and two daughters is seeking to unseat an 11-term Democrat in a state House race in Plainville and New Britain.
Dr. William Petit says he has no plans to try to revive Connecticut’s death penalty and is running for as a fiscal conservative.
His opponent, state Rep. Betty Boukus (BOH-kiss), is the House chairwoman of the powerful bonding subcommittee.
The race garnered national attention this month when a labor union’s political action committee ran an internet advertisement that tried to link Petit to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and “attacks on women and families.”
Boukus says she was horrified by the ad, which resulted in the resignation of the union official who authorized it.
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