What did Connecticut gain this election?

While the nation's voters voiced their opinions on Obama by placing  more Republicans in the House since the 1940s, and voting in key Republican senators, Connecticut maintained the status quo, speaking their liberal stance loudly.

With the governorship still on the fence, and a recount looming, Connecticut voted in a completely Democratic executive branch, 20 out of 32 senate seats, and 76 out of 115 assembly seats, with Bridgeport and other recounts still trickling in. Hopeful conservatives looked to Massachusetts and Scott Brown as their example, hoping to send a Republican senator to Washington this time around, but it was not to be. All five representatives, some of the most pro-death in Congress, and Dick Blumenthal, another NARAL favorite, easily dominated at the polls.

Connecticut remains solidly blue. But there is good news. Pro-life, pro-family candidates did make gains in Connecticut.

Endorsed pro-family state senate candidates won 50% of their contests, and pro-family representative candidates won 58% of their contests. Pro-life, pro-family candidates dominate the Republican class of freshman legislators, and won the vast majority of open and contested seats, reports the Family Institute of Connecticut's Action Committee.


Even though gubernatorial candidate Foley never responded to the FIC's questionnaires on pro-life and pro-family issues, his running mate for Lieutenant Governor, Danbury's Mayor Boughton, is a solid pro-life, pro-family advocate, and helped to bring some Connecticut pro-lifers to his side. But Foley was his own worst enemy, and failed the "throw-us-a-bone test" that could have given him the lead he needed to win the election outright, says Peter Wolfgang of the FIC.

With 75% of the freshman legislators being solidly pro-family, and no pro-family seats lost, it seems that Connecticut's conservatives may be chipping away at the solid blue foundation.

"If there is one lesson to be learned from the 2010 election, it is that the GOP needs pro-family backing to run competitively and gain seats," says Wolfgang. "If the top of the ticket had embraced social conservatives, the GOP might have prevented one-party rule in Hartford. Without us, it will be consigned to permanent minority-party status."

All we can hope for is a little purple.