2010 Connecticut gubernatorial election

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2010 Connecticut gubernatorial election

The 2010 Connecticut gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010, to elect the 88th Governor of Connecticut. Incumbent Republican Governor Jodi Rell had announced in a press conference in Hartford on November 9, 2009, that she would not seek re-election in 2010.[1] The sites Cook Political Report and CQ Politics both rated the election as a toss-up.[2][3] This was the first open seat gubernatorial election in the state since 1994. As of 2025, this is the last time the Governor's office in Connecticut changed partisan control.

Quick Facts Turnout, Nominee ...
2010 Connecticut gubernatorial election

 2006 November 2, 2010 2014 
Turnout53.2% ( 1.6%)
 
Nominee Dannel Malloy Thomas C. Foley
Party Democratic Republican
Alliance Working Families
Running mate Nancy Wyman Mark Boughton
Popular vote 567,278 560,874
Percentage 49.51% 48.95%

Malloy:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
     80–90%
Foley:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

Governor before election

Jodi Rell
Republican

Elected Governor

Dannel Malloy
Democratic

Close

Gubernatorial primaries for the Republican and Democratic parties took place on August 10, 2010. The Democratic nominee, former Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy, narrowly won the general election, defeating Republican Thomas C. Foley. Foley conceded the race on November 8, 2010.[4] Malloy became the first Democratic governor of Connecticut since 1986. With a margin of 0.7%, this election was also the second-closest race of the 2010 gubernatorial election cycle, behind only the election in Minnesota. As of 2025, this was the last time the Republican candidate won the counties of Fairfield and New London in a statewide election.

Republican primary

Summarize
Perspective

Candidates

Declined

Campaign

State convention results

The state Republican convention endorsed Tom Foley for governor on May 22, 2010.

More information Party, Candidate ...
State Republican Convention results[15]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Thomas C. Foley * 710 50.68
Republican Michael Fedele * 427 30.48
Republican Oz Griebel * 243 17.34
Republican Lawrence DeNardis 16 1.14
Republican C. Duffy Acevedo 5 0.36
Total votes 1,401 100.00
Close

* Denotes candidate met the minimum threshold of 15 percent to appear on the primary ballot

Polling

More information Poll source, Dates administered ...
Poll source Dates administered Thomas C.
Foley
Michael
Fedele
Oz
Griebel
Mark
Boughton
Larry
DeNardis
Quinnipiac[16] August 3–8, 2010 38% 30% 17%
Quinnipiac[17] July 28 – August 2, 2010 41% 26% 13%
Quinnipiac[18] July 7–13, 2010 48% 13% 7%
Quinnipiac[19] June 2–8, 2010 39% 12% 2%
Quinnipiac[20] May 24–25, 2010 37% 11% 5%
Quinnipiac[21] March 9–15, 2010 30% 4% 2% 4% 2%
Quinnipiac[22] January 14–19, 2010 17% 8% 2% 6% 4%
Close

Results

Results by county:
  Foley—40–50%
  Fedele—40–50%

In the Republican primary, state party-endorsed candidate Tom Foley, former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, defeated incumbent Lieutenant Governor Michael Fedele.[23]

More information Party, Candidate ...
Republican primary results[24]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Thomas C. Foley 50,792 42.27
Republican Michael Fedele 46,989 39.10
Republican Oz Griebel 22,390 18.63
Total votes 120,171 100.00
Close

Democratic primary

Summarize
Perspective

Candidates

Declined

Campaign

State convention results

The state Democratic convention endorsed Dan Malloy for governor on May 22, 2010.

More information Party, Candidate ...
State Democratic Convention results[39]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Dannel Malloy * 1,232 67.91
Democratic Ned Lamont * 582 32.08
Total votes 1,814 100.00
Close

* Denotes candidate met the minimum threshold of 15 percent to appear on the primary ballot

Polling

More information Poll source, Dates administered ...
Poll source Dates administered Susan
Bysiewicz
Ned
Lamont
Dannel
Malloy
Jim
Amann
Mary
Glassman
Rudy
Marconi
Quinnipiac[16] August 3–8, 2010 45% 42%
Quinnipiac[17] July 28 – August 2, 2010 45% 40%
Quinnipiac[18] July 7–13, 2010 46% 37%
Quinnipiac[19] June 2–8, 2010 39% 22%
Quinnipiac[20] May 24–25, 2010 41% 24%
Quinnipiac[21] March 9–15, 2010 28% 18% 4% 2%
Quinnipiac[22] January 14–19, 2010 27% 11% 5% 4% 1%
Quinnipiac[40] November 3–8, 2009 26% 23% 9% 3% 1%
Quinnipiac[41] February 5–8, 2009 44% 12% 4%
Close

Results

Thumb
Results by county:
  Malloy—60–70%
  Malloy—50–60%

In the Democratic primary, state party-endorsed candidate Dan Malloy, former mayor of Stamford, defeated businessman Ned Lamont.[23]

More information Party, Candidate ...
Democratic primary results[24]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Dannel Malloy 103,154 57.01
Democratic Ned Lamont 77,772 42.99
Total votes 180,926 100.00
Close

General election

Summarize
Perspective

In Connecticut, candidates for governor and lieutenant governor are elected jointly on the same ballot line in the general election. In party primaries, however, they are nominated separately.[42] Gubernatorial candidates often select an individual to be their preferred running mate prior to any such primaries, but their running mate in the general election is ultimately at the will of their party's primary electorate.[43]

Prior to the state conventions and primaries, three gubernatorial candidates announced who they would wish to run with if so nominated to run for governor:

Additionally, one Republican, Lisa Wilson-Foley, ran for lieutenant governor without having been selected as a running mate by a gubernatorial candidate.[42]

Prior to the Republican convention, Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Foley decided not to name a running mate, stating that he believes that the state's tradition of a gubernatorial candidate naming a preferred running mate before party conventions and primaries is "out of date."[46] While never named a preferred running for mate himself, Foley gave praise to both Michael Fedele's choice, Mark Boughton, and Lisa Wilson-Foley (of no relation).

At their respective party conventions, Boughton[47] and Wyman[48] won their party's endorsements on May 22, though both went on to face primary challenges. In the party primaries held on August 10, both party-endorsed candidates won, with Boughton defeating Wilson-Foley for the GOP nomination and Wyman winning the Democratic nod over Glassman.[49]

The death penalty disagreement between Foley and Malloy gained additional attention due to the contemporaneous trial, conviction, and sentencing phase (which was under deliberation in the lead-up to Election Day)[50] of Steven J. Hayes for a home invasion/murder in 2007 in Cheshire.[51]

Candidates and running mates

Debates

On September 28, 2010, candidates Thomas C. Foley, Dannel Malloy, and Tom Marsh participated in the first gubernatorial debate of the 2010 race, a 50-minute, non-televised forum on education concerns in Hartford.[53] In the debate, Foley stated that jobs and education would be his top priorities if elected governor, that more spending is not the solution to solve education-related problems, and that Malloy has "support[ed] the status quo" of teachers' unions.[53] Malloy used the forum to advocate that schools report the amount of money spent in the classroom versus on school administration, stated that one "can be for reform and for teachers at the same time", and voiced support for a statewide universal pre-K program.[53] Marsh stated that teachers' performance standards must improve and criticized the ratio that poorly performing doctors are removed from their jobs versus the rate at which underperforming teachers are.[53]

Foley and Malloy met again two days later, on October 1, for a debate in Greenwich sponsored by the Greenwich, Stamford, and Norwalk chambers of commerce.[54]

The first televised gubernatorial debate of the 2010 campaign took place on October 5, moderated by Fox News Channel chief political correspondent Carl Cameron and aired live on Fox Connecticut.[55] Among other things in the debate in which the two opponents "clashed sharply,"[55] Foley voiced his support for retaining Connecticut's death penalty as is, pledging to veto abolishment bills placed on his desk as governor, while Malloy reiterated his opposition to capital punishment, though he stated he would not retroactively undo death sentences of individuals currently in the process.[55] The candidates also took issue with each other's records, with Malloy accusing Foley of mismanagement while CEO of a Georgia textile mill and Foley labeling Malloy as a career politician who presided as mayor of Stamford during years in which the city had net job losses.[55] State labor department figures have shown Stamford to have lost more than 5,000 net jobs during the 14-year period of Malloy's tenure as mayor.[55] The Republican and the Democrat also took issue with statements and actions taken during the election season, with Foley stating that Malloy's pledge to cut gubernatorial staff by 15 percent would amount to only approximately five positions being cut and Malloy criticizing Foley for not naming a preferred running mate for the position of lieutenant governor.[55] Malloy clarified that he had meant cutting from all positions the governor has a role in filling, stating that "about 600"[55] positions was the real figure. Foley responded to Malloy's questioning over his running mate by stating that Republican primary voters placed Danbury mayor Mark Boughton in the position as Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, not him, but praised Boughton's experience.

A second televised debate was held between the Republican and the Democrat on October 13 in New London.[56] A third, an afternoon debate broadcast live from Fairfield University on Connecticut Public Television, WFSB, and WNPR radio, occurred on October 19.[57] The candidates met for a final time on October 26 for a televised debate aired on NBC 30.[58]

Predictions

More information Source, Ranking ...
Source Ranking As of
Cook Political Report[59] Tossup October 14, 2010
Rothenberg[60] Tossup October 28, 2010
RealClearPolitics[61] Tossup November 1, 2010
Sabato's Crystal Ball[62] Lean D (flip) October 28, 2010
CQ Politics[63] Tossup October 28, 2010
Close

Polling

More information Poll source, Dates administered ...
Poll source Dates administered Dannel
Malloy (D)
Thomas C.
Foley (R)
Rasmussen Reports[64]October 31, 201046%48%
Quinnipiac[65]October 25–31, 201045%48%
Public Policy Polling[66]October 27–29, 201047%49%
CT Capitol Report/Merriman River Group[67]October 24–26, 201045.1%45.1%
Rasmussen Reports[68]October 24, 201049%46%
Quinnipiac[69]October 18–24, 201048%43%
Suffolk University[70]October 19–20, 201049%38%
Rasmussen Reports[71]October 14, 201049%45%
Quinnipiac[72]October 7–11, 201049%42%
Fox News/Pulse Opinion Research[73]October 9, 201045%41%
Rasmussen Reports[74] October 5, 2010 49% 44%
CNN/Time/Opinion Research Corporation[75] October 1–5, 2010 50% 42%
CT Capitol Report/Merriman River Group[76] October 3, 2010 47.5% 44.9%
Fox News/Pulse Opinion Research[73] October 2, 2010 47% 41%
Quinnipiac[77] September 21–26, 2010 45% 42%
Rasmussen Reports[78] September 26, 2010 50% 40%
Quinnipiac[79] September 8–12, 2010 50% 41%
Rasmussen Reports[80] September 9, 2010 46% 39%
Rasmussen Reports[81] August 11, 2010 48% 33%
Quinnipiac[17] July 28 – August 2, 2010 46% 31%
Quinnipiac[18] July 7–13, 2010 44% 33%
Rasmussen Reports[82] June 1, 2010 44% 35%
Rasmussen Reports[83] April 1, 2010 35% 44%
Rasmussen Reports[84] February 1, 2010 37% 36%
Quinnipiac[22] January 14–19, 2010 37% 33%
Public Policy Polling[85] January 4–5, 2010 37% 27%
Close

Bridgeport ballot shortage

A dozen polling locations in the city of Bridgeport ran out of ballots on Election Day, leading to a ruling by Superior Court Judge Marshall K. Berger, Jr., for the polls to remain open at the affected polling sites until 10 p.m., two hours later than the normal statewide 8 p.m. closing time, in order for disenfranchised voters to return to vote on newly printed ballots.[86] Bridgeport officials had initially ordered only 21,000 ballots, despite there being over 69,000[86] registered voters in the city.

With all votes counted, with the exception of Bridgeport, Republican Tom Foley held a slight lead in the popular vote (556,787 to 548,378). Once the ballots from Bridgeport were counted, Democrat Dan Malloy was declared the winner by Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz, who, according to the Stamford Advocate, based her announcement on preliminary, "informal totals. ... That does not include uncounted absentee ballots."[87] Byseiwicz's announcement conflicted with the latest statewide tallies compiled by Foley's team and the non-partisan Associated Press, both of which indicated Foley to be in the lead by a thin margin.[87]

Judge Berger did state in his ruling that all votes submitted after 8 p.m. would be counted as provisional ballots and kept separate from the others. The state Republican Party threatened a legal challenge.[86]

On November 8, Foley, though still concerned over the election's handling and precise vote totals, conceded the election, stating, "The election on Tuesday was a conclusive victory for Dan Malloy, and this result should not be questioned."[88]

Results

More information Party, Candidate ...
2010 Connecticut gubernatorial election[89]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Dannel Malloy 540,970 47.21% +11.76%
Working Families Dannel Malloy 26,308 2.30% N/A
Total Dannel Malloy 567,278 49.51% +14.06%
Republican Thomas C. Foley 560,874 48.95% −14.25%
Independent Thomas E. Marsh 17,629 1.54% N/A
Write-in 18 0.00% N/A
Total votes 1,145,799 100.00% N/A
Democratic gain from Republican
Close

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

By congressional district

Despite winning, Malloy only won 2 of 5 congressional districts, while Foley won the other 3, all of which were held by Democrats.[90]

More information District, Dannel Malloy Democratic ...
District Dannel Malloy
Democratic
Thomas Foley
Republican
Various candidates
Independent
Total votes cast Representative
#  % #  % #  %
1st 124,111 53.88% 102,805 44.63% 3,440 1.49% 230,356 John B. Larson
2nd 115,171 46.53% 126,722 51.20% 5,615 2.27% 247,508 Joe Courtney
3rd 119,855 54.35% 97,474 44.20% 3,206 1.45% 220,535 Rosa DeLauro
4th 107,942 49.42% 108,960 49.88% 1,542 0.70% 218,444 Jim Himes
5th 100,199 43.76% 124,913 54.56% 3,844 1.68% 228,956 Chris Murphy
Totals567,27849.51%560,87448.95%17,6471.54%1,145,799
Close

See also

References

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