Incumbent governor of Connecticut Jodi Rell, pictured here, will officially be replaced by Dan Malloy, as Tom Foley has conceded. Image from Wikimedia Commons.
The Connecticut governor race has finally concluded. Republican Tom Foley has conceded the race to Democrat Dannel Malloy, also called Dan Malloy, after a tense final count. A recount seems likely. Malloy, should any recounting or investigation not conclude that Foley was the winner, will be the first Democrat to win a gubernatorial contest in Connecticut for 24 years.
Foley concedes in Connecticut governor race
After election night 2010, the Connecticut governor race looked to be incredibly close. It became apparent that there were some voting irregularities, including an entire bag of ballots that had not only gone uncounted, but had been left unattended, among others. Still, by Monday, Nov. 8, a lead of about 6,000 votes in favor of Dannel Malloy had emerged, and Republican candidate Tom Foley felt that the best course was to concede, which he has done, according to the New York Times. Foley and his legal team examined the results, and though irregularities were certainly present, Foley does not believe that any “credible evidence of fraudulent voting” had occurred. He also did not intend to plunge Connecticut into a protracted legal battle over the governorship. Malloy is replacing M. Jodi Rell, the Republican incumbent who declined to run again.
Other races to be decided
Technically, most elections are still being tallied. However, there are a few that are still in contention, as some 2010 election results are close. Recently, Republican Bill Brady conceded the Illinois governor election to Democrat Pat Quinn, according to CBS. Quinn was Lieutenant Governor under Rod Blagojevich, but became Governor after Blagojevich was thrown out of office. Perhaps the most-watched is the Alaska Senate election, where Lisa Murkowski is holding a lead thanks to write-in ballots over the Tea Party darling and Sarah Palin-endorsed Joe Miller.
Electrifying elections
The 2010 midterm elections have been chock full of high drama. Republicans gained heavily in the House and a little bit in the Senate. However, some of the Tea Party heavies were soundly whipped at the polls, and if Miller is defeated, it will be a black eye to Palin and other Tea Party impresarios.
