Campaign Notebook: McMahon, Murphy Finish Debates

Senate

Linda McMahon and Chris Murphy debated for the fourth and final time on Thursday. Social security and women’s issues were some of the main topics. According to CBS News: 

Throughout, Democrat Murphy cast himself as a defender of the middle class and McMahon as a hard-hearted plutocrat. Republican McMahon, who is running in a largely blue state, defined herself as an "independent thinker" and a job creator and slammed Murphy as a failed career politician.

As with the past debates, both candidates repeated many of the same talking points. According to the New York Times:

The debate, which broke little new ground as both candidates largely recycled talking points from previous debates, ended a phase of the campaign. Mr. Murphy has been gaining a bit of momentum in a tight race that had earlier been dominated by Ms. McMahon’s aggressive campaign and expensive television ads.

Third District

Rosa DeLauro (D): A letter from DeLauro’s campaign manager asking supporters for donations says DeLauro “is fighting against a Tea-Party agenda that is working to dismantle what we have achieved and block us from progress moving forward.

Wayne Winsley (R) said on Facebook that he’s looking forward to having breakfast with activist Alveda King, niece of Martin Luther King Jr.

Fourth District

Jim Himes and Steve Obsitnik squared off in a debate in Norwalk on Thursday. The candidates discussed what they’d do about deadlock in Congress, when to withdraw from Afghanistan and the nation’s debt, according to the Stamford Advocate. The candidates debate again on Nov. 2 at Wilton High School.

Fifth District

The Hill reports that Speaker John Boehner – who campaigned for Andrew Roraback – has become a “boogeyman” on the campaign trail. According to the publication, “[Elizabeth] Esty drops Boehner’s name as much as she does Mitt Romney’s or Paul Ryan’s” in an attempt to liken Roraback to other Republicans who might be less popular in Connecticut.