U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), a Tufts alum, won reelection yesterday by a landslide — but his glide to a finish did not keep the congressman from hitting the campaign trail hard yesterday.
Perhaps Courtney's (A '75) vigilance was motivated by past experience: He won his seat in 2006 by under 90 votes over incumbent Republican Rob Simmons.
Yesterday, though, Courtney soundly defeated Republican challenger Sean Sullivan, claiming 66 percent to 32 percent with 99 percent of precincts reporting.
A Sept. 30 poll of likely voters conducted by the University of Connecticut showed Courtney 27 percentage points above Sullivan, a former commander of the Naval Submarine Base in Groton, Conn. Courtney received endorsements from several organizations and newspapers, among them the New York Times on Oct. 25.
Still, Courtney refused to take Election Day lightly. "We've got a lot of ground to cover," he told the Daily yesterday afternoon. "I'm far from complacent."
Courtney started his day in Vernon, Conn. He had already made six stops when he spoke with the Daily, and he planned on making at least two more before ending his day in Old Lyme, Conn.
Courtney said that the presidential race between Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain had energized the electorate and played a role in "enhancing" the voting experience. "This is an election for the ages," he said.
Courtney announced his support for Obama on May 21, two weeks before the senator secured the nomination.
During his stops at polling stations, Courtney talked to several voters, including many who had never before cast a ballot.
Courtney took advantage of this year's piqued voter interest to do some last-minute campaigning for his candidacy — even if that meant simply reminding voters there are other races they should take an interest in.
"Everybody who gets in their car knows who they're voting for for president," he told the Daily. But there is a "slice of voters" who are not totally sure of the rest of the ticket.
Courtney highlighted the high voter turnout that he had been experiencing first hand. "We're seeing it in towns all across the district," he said.
Leaving Clinton, there was a traffic jam just to get out of the polling place, Courtney said.
Now that the campaign is over, Courtney said he will be returning to Washington with clear priorities: fixing the economy, improving healthcare and getting a stimulus package out as soon as possible.
