Malloy Declared Winner by Bysiewicz; Foley Disagrees [Updated]

Update 1:17 p.m.

During a brief press conference at Foley's campaign office in Stamford, Foley stated that his camp's internal numbers do not match the Secretary of State's numbers, but matches that of the Associated Press. "We're up by less than 2,000 votes," he told reporters, which means that if his numbers are correct, there would need to be an state-wide recount. Foley went on to say that he is not conceding and is in talks with the Secretary State Office to possibly compare results and "locate any discrepencies."

When asked whether he thought the ballots in Bridgeport cast after 8 pm should be counted —the city's polling hours were extended until 10 pm due to a ballot shortage —Foley said that he wouldn't know the answer to that until the numbers were compared. "First, we need to know how many people actually voted [in Bridgeport] between 8 and 10 p.m. It may not even be a signficant number, and if it's not, then there's no point in bringing [the subject] up." 

Update, 12:18 p.m.

Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz has declared Dan Malloy the winner in the governor's race by 3,103 votes. More soon.

Update 11:46 am

 Malloy has released the following statement through his campaign Web site:

"After a long night I am confident that when the Secretary of the State certifies the results of the election Nancy Wyman and I will be declared the winners, and that a recount will not be necessary.  Our count shows us with a lead of more than 11,000 votes (approximately 1%), which will likely increase because the precincts that have yet to officially report –in Bridgeport, New Haven, and a few other towns —are ones in which Democrats have traditionally outpolled Republicans.  I want the people of Connecticut to know that I am committed to working on a smooth, orderly transition with Gov. Rell —and that we will announce a transition team that will lead that effort in short order."

Update 11:08 am

Malloy is narrowly leading the race with 49.3 percent of the votes (519,209), compared to Foley's 49.1 percent (515,437).

Update 9:41 p.m.

No official word yet on Malloy's whereabouts as the results come in. While his supporters are gathering at The Society Room of Hartford, word is that Malloy is watching the results from his hotel room.

Update 9:12 p.m.

The race for governor remains tight. Foley is slightly ahead with 51 percent of the vote, while Malloy has 47 percent, according to CNN.com. 

Update 8:12 p.m.

Bridgeport polls will remain open until 10 p.m. due to a ballot shortage, which may have an effect on the governor's race.  "We feel we're reaching out to key places like Bridgeport, Stamford and Waterbury," Malloy told Patch earlier Tuesday.

Update: 7:59 p.m.

According to Foley spokeswoman Liz Osborn, Foley is currently watching the results from his suite at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich. He will join his supporters in the Regency Ballroom once the winner is announced.

Original Story

As voters head to the polls Tuesday, Republican  appears to be making inroads in the race for governor against former Stamford Mayor . The race, however, is too close to call, according to experts.

A Quinnipiac University poll released Monday stated that 48 percent of likely voters favor Foley compared to 45 percent for Democrat Malloy. Much of Foley's gain is attributed to a shift among unaffiliated voters. "But with 6 percent still undecided there is still room for movement," said poll director Douglas Schwartz.

Malloy and Foley are from neighboring Fairfield County towns, but their approaches to Connecticut's pressing challenges – state government's $3.3 billion budget deficit, unemployment and the economy, to name a few— couldn't be farther apart.

Malloy, 55, a former prosecutor, cites his 14-year track record as Stamford's mayor as credentials for becoming governor. He presided over an economic turnaround in that city and says he can do the same for Connecticut.

Malloy says Connecticut needs to create new jobs while protecting existing ones. He says he'll get state spending under control in several ways. One is by reducing the number of state agencies by a third through mergers and other consolidations. He also wants to freeze compensation for all political appointees and to work with state labor leaders to find other savings.

Malloy would also use research and development tax credits to create a billion-dollar fund to expand research and advanced manufacturing, a plan he says will generate thousands of new jobs. He also wants to expand state investments in bio-medical fields and in the state's three deep-water ports.

As Stamford's mayor, Malloy says he proposed balanced budgets every year while holding the line on taxes. Foley has pledged no new taxes, but Malloy calls that unrealistic and says his successes expanding jobs and the economy in Stamford will work on the state level as well.

Malloy remained optimistic Tuesday despite Foley's slight lead. "I feel good," he told Patch during a phone interview Tuesday. "We feel we're reaching out to key places like Bridgeport, Stamford and Waterbury and I'm hopeful. It's going to be close, but we're right where we planned to be."

And as Malloy made his way through some of the state's campaign districts Tuesday and spoke with voters, he's found that the issues that were on their minds six months ago are the very same issues that are on their minds today. "They're worried about the economy, jobs, the state budget and utilities," he said. "I think they're selecting me because they know that I have the experience to handle the issues."

Foley, a 58-year-old Republican from Greenwich who has never held an elective office, cites his outsider status and career of turning around troubled businesses as his assets. He says Connecticut needs an outsider who will make decisions unhampered by special interests. State government's budget problems are a result of too much spending, not a lack of revenue, he says.

As governor, Foley says he'll get spending back on an even keel by consolidating agencies, eliminating waste and privatizing services. He says he'll push for givebacks from state labor unions and tougher negotiations to reduce pension costs and benefits.

He also says Connecticut needs to become more  "employer friendly," reducing red tape and costs and becoming more responsive. He says he'll focus on attracting new businesses with high-paying jobs and give lenders incentives to extend more credit to small businesses and start-ups.

Foley's campaign trail Tuesday has included stops in Danbury, Newtown, Oxford, Trumbull and Fairfield. "We're cautiously optimistic, but we're not taking anything for granted," Liz Osborn, spokeswoman for the Foley campaign, told Patch. "Tom has been getting great feedback on the trail today and we're looking forward to seeing results tonight."