Democratic Rep. Chris Murphy has defeated Republican Linda McMahon to become the next senator from Connecticut.
The Associated Press and CBS News called the race for Murphy on Tuesday night, a result that reflects recent polls that showed the Democrat with a lead.
He will replace Sen. Joe Lieberman (I).
McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, ran unsuccessfully for Senate in 2010. She ran as a fiscal conservative but hewed to the left on social issues like abortion.
Her campaign had a tense relationship with members of the press, and this week was caught distributing door-hangers in minority communities asking voters to support her and President Obama.
On Election Day, the McMahon campaign distributed flyers that asked voters to support her and Obama. It proved insufficient to defeat the congressman, who was first elected in 2006.
McMahon spent $50 million on her Senate run this cycle, according to the Center For Responsive Politics.
Sahil Kapur
Sahil Kapur is a congressional reporter for TPM. He previously covered politics and public policy for numerous publications including The Guardian and The Huffington Post. He can be reached at sahil [at] talkingpointsmemo.com.
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