McMahon Rides Momentum to Victory

A woman dressed in white walked along the sidewalk outside the polls at Newtown Middle School on a sunny Tuesday afternoon, and a horde of reporters and camera lenses followed her every move.

Linda McMahon was a ball of energy. The U.S. Senate candidate greeted voters with smiles and handshakes as members of the media hustled to keep up.

Opponents have also had a hard time staying with her.

The former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO was a heavy favorite going into Tuesday's Republican Primary against businessman Peter Schiff and former Congressman Rob Simmons.

"I'm cautiously optimistic," McMahon said earlier in the day. "Don't take it for granted and don't think it's done until the votes are counted."

But she added, "I feel constant good momentum in the race."

That momentum propelled McMahon to a convincing victory Tuesday night.

When 81 percent of the vote was in, McMahon led with 49 percent of the vote compared to 29 percent for Simmons and 23 percent for Schiff. The vote count read 46,039 for McMahon, 27,776 for Simmons and 21,315 for Schiff.

"Tonight, I am honored to have earned the support of Republicans around Connecticut," McMahon said in a statement. "Since I entered this race 11 months ago, we have crisscrossed this great state and attended over 660 meetings and events, where I have had the opportunity to hear from voters and better understand their issues and concerns. And unlike someone else in this race, I didn't need to fly to Vancouver to do it."

The last comment was a dig at Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, her Democratic opponent for the senate seat. Blumenthal had attended a fundraiser for Democratic Senate candidates in Vancouver, British Columbia last month.

"I'm honored to have earned my party's nomination, and I am determined to lead our party to victory in November," McMahon said.

Blumenthal has led all senate candidates in the latest polls.

"To all of tonight's winners, including my opponent, congratulations," he said in a statement issued after the outcome was determined. "There are clear choices ahead and a great deal at stake. Washington isn't working and the people of Connecticut want to know what we're going to do to stand up to the special interests and put their interests first. This is going to be a tough campaign, and I'm going to focus on what matters to the people of Connecticut."

McMahon declined to accept public funding and pledged to only accept donations of $100 or less from her supporters. But opponents sharply criticized McMahon for pouring $22 million of personal funds into her campaign.

In a prepared video Blumenthal took a jab at McMahon's spending.

"Our opponent says she'll spend $50 million," Blumenthal said. "We'll be outspent, but we won't be outworked. The people of Connecticut want an election and not an auction."

Primary opponent Rob Simmons also took shots at McMahon in a telephone interview late Tuesday night.

"It didn't turn out quite the way we wanted it to, obviously, Mrs. McMahon won," he said. "But I'm proud of my people, proud of my family and my supporters. We didn't have a blank checkbook, but we did a great job right to the end."

"Sometimes when you have a card game, you play with the hand you've got," Simmons said. "I thought we played pretty good right to end. She had a pile of aces and I had twos and threes."

Simmons took some comfort in his contention that a tough challenge he posed to longtime incumbent senator, Christopher Dodd, two years ago factored into his not running this year.

When Schiff's campaign was reached for comment, a family member said he would issue a statement later in the night.

'American Dream is threatened'

In her statement released after the primary race was decided, McMahon focused on the nation's struggling economy.

"I understand that people are hurting because I see it all around this state," she said. "And I know what that feels like because I've been there before."

"This election is about jobs. The American Dream is threatened, but Washington continues its reckless spending, massive debt, and tax increases," McMahon said. "Washington is suffocating small businesses and killing jobs. This is not only threatening our well-being, but also the well-being of our children and grandchildren. It's time for something different."