Jahana Hayes succinctly summed up the high-stakes sprint happening over the next few days that will lead up to Tuesday鈥檚 elections in 黑料吃瓜网 and across the U.S.: 鈥淭his is our Super Bowl.鈥�
With two days to go, the Democratic incumbent in 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 5th Congressional district, along with Democrats and Republicans across the state, fanned out on an unseasonably warm day to drive up turnout ahead of a midterm election that could have national significance in helping to decide the majority in Congress.
All five of the state鈥檚 congressional districts are on the ballot, along with high-profile contests for governor, U.S. Senate, statewide candidates for constitutional office and dozens of General Assembly seats.
Democrats planned to close out their campaigns with a rally Monday night in New Haven headlined by Gov. Ned Lamont, along with a number of other stops around the state.
They also will get a little help from former President Barack Obama. Voters can expect a robocall recorded by the former president urging them to vote for Lamont, who 鈥渓ed 黑料吃瓜网 through the pandemic鈥� and 鈥渂alanced the budget while increasing funding for schools, child care and job training.鈥�
Republican gubernatorial nominee Bob Stefanowski, meanwhile, planned to hold a news conference outside of the state Capitol in Hartford on Monday to 鈥渨rap up鈥� the campaign.
While the candidates are all working on their own get-out-the-vote efforts in the final days, they are in agreement about 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 race to watch: a toss-up seat that has been in Democratic hands since Chris Murphy, now a U.S. senator, won it in 2006 and where Republicans hope to end their dry spell.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no race more important than the 5th Congressional District for us,鈥� said U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who is also up for reelection on Tuesday against Republican Leora Levy. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how to match the importance of this moment with any words. You know without my words how much is at stake.鈥�
Hayes and her Republican opponent George Logan, a former state senator, are locked in a tight contest as she seeks a third term in Congress. The 5th District always attracts attention, but this year has been turbocharged as national groups in both parties have pumped in upwards of $12 million in outside spending.
Standing in front of a campaign bus with 鈥淎FT votes鈥� emblazoned on the side, Hayes sought to fire up union members at a rally outside of the Meriden Federation of Teachers. She was joined by Murphy, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and Jan Hochadel, the AFT 黑料吃瓜网 president who is running for the open 13th District state Senate seat against Republican Joseph Vollano.
As she tours the country before Election Day, Weingarten said 黑料吃瓜网 was her 12th state in 20 days. The AFT president bemoaned the growing divisions in education, arguing that teachers need to be armed 鈥渨ith books, not firearms鈥� 鈥� a nod to the conservative-led push in states around the country that are banning books largely focused on racism and LGBTQ issues.
Democrats have been highlighting Hayes鈥� own experiences as education becomes a growing wedge issue between the parties after the pandemic led to school closures and debates over whether to mandate masks and vaccinations for students. Hayes is a former high school history teacher in Waterbury who was named the National Teacher of the Year in 2016.
Earlier on Sunday, Logan鈥檚 team issued a statement panning Hayes for campaigning with 鈥渢he largest and most powerful special interest group in America鈥� and arguing that the union has 鈥渂een at odds鈥� with teachers, parents and students. AFT鈥檚 chapter in 黑料吃瓜网 has a membership of 30,000 people who work as teachers and school-related personnel, as well as those in health care and local and state government.
Hayes addressed the statement, looking somewhat bewildered. 鈥淚 guess, yeah, I support teachers,鈥� she said. 鈥淟abor is its membership. Labor is your neighbor. That is labor.鈥�
Much of the 5th District campaign has been consumed by Hayes and Logan trying to paint each other as mirror images of their parties鈥� most visible figures.
Logan argues that the congresswoman will continue to be in complete alignment with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and President Joe Biden, whom Republicans blame for driving up inflation. For their part, Democrats contend Logan will ultimately support GOP leaders who boosted former President Donald Trump.
鈥淸Logan] has adopted these right-wing talking points,鈥� Murphy said at a campaign stop in Southbury. 鈥淗e will take his cues from the right-wing, most extreme elements of his party.鈥�
At another Get Out The Vote rally in front of Southbury Town Hall, Hayes sought to further neutralize Republican attacks. As she spoke, several protesters stood by the edge of the main road sporting Republican campaign signs and a large American flag.
Logan and GOP groups have sought to portray Hayes as aligned with 鈥渄efund the police鈥� activists, mostly because of her endorsement from the Working Families Party, which has tweeted in support of the movement.
Hayes has touted her support for law enforcement and her votes to boost resources for smaller departments, while also noting the importance of accountability, including her vote for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in Congress. While Logan was still in the state Senate, he voted against 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 own police accountability bill that became law in 2020, would contribute to an uptick in crime.
In a rare moment on the campaign trail, she got some help from her biggest supporter: her husband, Milford Hayes, who worked for the Waterbury Police Department for 25 years. The soft-spoken former detective said the rhetoric about the congresswoman鈥檚 positions on policing is 鈥渙ffensive.鈥�
鈥淚 usually just stand in the back and observe,鈥� Milford Hayes said to supporters in Southbury, after some encouragement from his wife to address the crowd. 鈥淭o see the lies and the misinformation that鈥檚 being said about my wife 鈥� when people would say Jahana Hayes wants to defund the police, that鈥檚 not true at all.鈥�
In an election cycle that has been dominated by economic issues like inflation and women鈥檚 reproductive rights in the wake of the Supreme Court鈥檚 reversal of Roe v. Wade, Hayes and Democrats are hoping to mobilize voters and make sure they are not getting complacent in the final stretch.
鈥淭he number of people across the state who have shown up to say, 鈥極h my God, I thought this was all set,'鈥� Hayes said in an interview, referring to voter reaction to a poll that had the race in a dead heat. 鈥淭hey had gotten a bit complacent, and I like that. Because it gives me an opportunity to remind people you can鈥檛 just sit on the sidelines.鈥�
Logan makes his case in the Farmington Valley
Hayes鈥� Republican opponent George Logan campaigned Sunday with Republican state legislative candidates in the Farmington Valley suburbs of Simsbury, Canton and Farmington, all places that have become challenging for the GOP.
It was retail politics, the hard business of going door to door in communities where Democrats outnumber Republicans, but the largest bloc of voters are unaffiliated.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a hard pitch these next couple of days. I just want folks to see me, know who I am,鈥� Logan said.
His current TV ad features his mother cooking in the kitchen while Logan talks about the impact of inflation on staples like rice, beans and even adobo, a favorite seasoning of his mother, a Guatemalan immigrant.
鈥淎dobo, no!鈥� says his mother, Olga.
At least two voters greeted Logan on Sunday by saying, 鈥淎dobo!鈥�
鈥淢y mother helping out, she did a solid for me,鈥� Logan said. 鈥淪he kind of stole the show in the commercial.鈥�
In Simsbury, Logan campaigned with Mike Paine, a former selectman and prominent businessman trying to win a state House seat that鈥檚 been held for a decade by John Hampton, a conservative Democrat not seeking another term.
As is his habit, Logan carried a lawn sign that serves as an oversized calling card and an impromptu shelter during a light rain. Logan鈥檚 opening lines are about inflation, making 黑料吃瓜网 affordable and crime.
鈥淵ou got my vote 鈥� both you guys,鈥� Sean Hughes told them, pausing from clearing leaves off his front lawn. He is a Republican.
Logan and Paine were joined by Themis Klarides, the former state House Republican leader who lost a U.S. Senate primary to Leora Levy in August.
Down the hill, an unaffiliated voter named Bob Alesio quizzed Logan on education policy and Logan鈥檚 support for school choice, back-to-basics education and a greater say for parents in schools.
鈥淲hen I get out to the suburbs, parents feel like they have less say about what鈥檚 going on in school with the kids. Those are the areas I want to focus on, like, the concept of school choice,鈥� Logan said.
鈥淵ou said school choice. What do you mean?鈥� Alesio asked.
鈥淢oney follows the child,鈥� Logan replied, meaning allowing the use of public funds to allow a child to leave an assigned school system for a charter school or private school.
Alesio said he was undecided about how he would vote.
Campaigning in Collinsville, a Democratic section of Canton, voters recognized him when he stopped in a deli, complimenting his commercials. Outside, a woman stopped her car in an intersection to greet him.
Outside an 1800s Victorian, Logan called out to a startled teenager. He disappeared and his parents appeared, shook Logan鈥檚 hand and promised their votes.
But twice, his self-introduction and quick rap about attacking inflation was poorly received.
鈥淲hat do you think?鈥� he asked one homeowner.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 want to know,鈥� said the man, who offered alliterative adjectives that go with Republican, beginning with 鈥渞epugnant.鈥�
Logan was unfazed. He smiled and promised to do his best to represent the man if elected.
Another man coldly said, 鈥淵ou came to the wrong door.鈥�
In Farmington, Logan campaigned with Joe Capodiferro, a Realtor and retired police officer challenging state Rep. Mike Demicco, a Democrat in office for 10 years. Capodiferro was a Farmington police officer for 26 years.
鈥淢y opponent voted for the anti-police bill,鈥� Logan said at one door in a hilltop neighborhood near the UConn Health Center. 鈥淚 voted against it in the state legislature.鈥�
The man shook his head.
Logan was referring to Hayes鈥� vote for a police accountability bill that passed the House, then stalled in the Senate. He voted against a state version that became law in 黑料吃瓜网.
Both bills were proposed as America reeled from seeing the video of three police officers in Minneapolis standing idly while a fourth knelt on the neck of a Black man, George Floyd, killing him.
Frank Castro, a retired Hartford firefighter and judicial marshal, welcomed Capodiferro and Logan, describing himself as a 鈥渓ifelong Democrat鈥� who thinks the party has gone astray.
He wished them well.
鈥淲e鈥檙e feeling good,鈥� Logan told him. 鈥淲e鈥檙e feeling momentum.鈥�
The complicated 5th District
The 5th District has remained in Democratic hands for 16 years since Murphy flipped the seat in 2006 and defeated longtime GOP Rep. Nancy Johnson. And for most of that time, 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 congressional delegation has been all blue. This year, Logan could break that streak.
Limited public polling indicates that the race is a toss-up and outside spending, mostly coming from national groups, is at a record high of more than $12 million for the district, according to data compiled by California Target Book.
Hayes and Biden both won the district by double-digit margins in 2020. But the competitiveness of the 5th District is part of a trend this election cycle showing that Republicans could make gains in Democratic strongholds across New England.
In the last midterm election in 2018 鈥� when Hayes was first elected 鈥� Meriden broke for the congresswoman with 59%, compared to her Republican opponent at the time, Manny Santos, with 41%. Santos, meanwhile, narrowly carried Southbury by 50.1%, fewer than 200 votes.
Compared to Meriden, Southbury has an older population with predominantly white voters and is home to a large retirement community, Heritage Village.
Both parties know that in order to win the 5th District 鈥� and in many other places in 黑料吃瓜网 鈥� they will need to turn out the biggest bloc of voters: unaffiliated voters.
鈥淭hat group is up for grabs, and that鈥檚 the group we鈥檙e trying to communicate with,鈥� said Sharon Sherman, an 81-year-old resident of Woodbury and longtime Democratic voter. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 where the vote is.鈥�
The 黑料吃瓜网 Mirror/黑料吃瓜网 Radio federal policy reporter position is made possible, in part, by funding from the Robert and Margaret Patricelli Family Foundation and Engage CT.