Everyone thought they knew how the ct senate race 2024 would go. Connecticut is blue, right? Safe. Predictable. Chris Murphy has been in that seat since 2013, and honestly, the guy has built a brand that’s hard to shake. But if you actually look at the numbers from November 5, 2024, there’s a story underneath the surface that isn't just "Democrat wins again."
It was a rematch. Matthew Corey, a Navy veteran who runs a window-washing business and a restaurant in Manchester, stepped up to challenge Murphy for the second time. He’d done this back in 2018. Back then, it wasn't particularly close. This time around, the vibe was different. People were angry about grocery prices and the cost of staying in a state that feels like it’s pricing out the middle class. Corey leaned hard into that. He basically hitched his wagon to the Trump platform, calling himself the "fighter" the former president needed in D.C.
The Final Count and the Shifting Map
Murphy won. That's the headline. He pulled in 1,000,695 votes, which gave him roughly 58.6% of the total. Corey snagged 678,256 votes, or about 39.7%. If you’re doing the math, that’s a pretty comfortable gap. But check this out: for the first time in his career, Chris Murphy lost Windham County.
That is huge.
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Windham went for Corey by a whisker—49.85% to 48.01%. It’s a tiny margin, sure, but it's a massive symbolic shift. It shows that the "Quiet Corner" of Connecticut is feeling less and less heard by the folks in Hartford and D.C. Murphy also lost Litchfield County, where Corey took 50.43% of the vote. Usually, the Democratic stronghold in cities like Hartford, New Haven, and Bridgeport is enough to drown out the rural areas, and it was—Murphy won Hartford County with over 62%—but the cracks are showing.
Money, Influence, and the Ground Game
Let’s talk money. It was a total David vs. Goliath situation, only David didn't have a slingshot; he had a toothpick.
Murphy is a fundraising machine. By the time October 16 rolled around, he’d raised about $12.3 million. He spent $9.3 million of that. When you have that kind of cash, you can buy every TV ad in the state twice over. Corey? He raised around $190,500. He spent less than a hundred grand. It’s hard to win a statewide race when your opponent is outspending you nearly 100 to 1. Honestly, the fact that Corey kept Murphy under 60% with that kind of budget is sort of wild.
Murphy didn't just sit on his cash, though. He did his annual walk across Connecticut. He visited a Stop & Shop in Waterbury on election eve. He ate his traditional lunch at a Burger King in Torrington. He kept it local. He leaned into his work on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and his reputation as a guy who actually tries to get gun safety laws passed. For a lot of CT voters, especially in the suburbs of Fairfield County, that’s the "must-have" issue.
Why the ct senate race 2024 Matters for 2026 and Beyond
Corey didn’t just talk about the economy. He attacked Murphy on the border and immigration, which is a weirdly hot topic in a state as far north as Connecticut. He wanted "Real Border Reform," building the wall, and ending sanctuary cities.
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On the other side, Murphy stayed focused on reproductive rights. He hammered the point that abortion was on the ballot, even if Corey claimed it wasn't because of Connecticut's strong state-level protections. This "fear-mongering" vs. "fundamental rights" debate defined the final weeks.
We also saw some third-party action. Robert Hyde ran on the "Cheaper Gas Groceries" line—which is a name that basically summarizes exactly what people are worried about—and Justin Paglino ran for the Greens. They didn't get much, less than 1% each, but in a closer race, those 14,000 votes each would have been a nightmare for the frontrunners.
Voter turnout dropped across the state. In 2020, we saw about 80%. In 2024, it dipped to 76%. In places like Bridgeport, it plummeted. This tells me people are tired. They’re exhausted by the constant cycle, the billions spent on ads, and the feeling that no matter who wins, their electric bill still goes up.
Actionable Insights for the Next Cycle
If you’re watching Connecticut politics, don't just look at the blue map and assume it’s a monolith.
First, keep an eye on the rural-urban divide. If Republicans want to actually win a Senate seat—something they haven't done since Lowell Weicker in 1982—they have to find a way to break into the mid-sized cities like Danbury or New Britain. They can't just win the woods; they need the pavement.
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Second, the "incumbency advantage" is real, but it's tied to visibility. Murphy wins because he’s everywhere. He’s on the news, he’s walking through towns, and he’s got the budget to remind you of it.
Finally, watch the "Cheaper Gas Groceries" sentiment. Even if that specific party fades, the sentiment won't. If the cost of living doesn't stabilize, even "Safe D" seats might start looking a lot more purple by the time the next midterm rolls around.
If you want to stay informed on how these shifts affect your local taxes or state laws, start by following the legislative sessions in Hartford. Most of what affects your daily life in CT actually happens there, not just in the D.C. Senate chambers. You can also track campaign finance through the FEC website to see who is actually funding these multi-million dollar runs.