U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes defeated Republican challenger George Logan early Wednesday, winning a closely watched rematch in Connecticut’s 5th Congressional District that once again garnered a lot of national attention in the state’s only competitive federal race.
Hayes, who will represent much of the northwest corner of the state for a fourth term, held a narrow lead over Logan, though the race had been too close to call on Tuesday night. The Associated Press called the race around 2 a.m. on Wednesday with Hayes besting the former state senator, 53% to 47%, with 88% of precincts reporting.
The 5th District was once again at the center of Connecticut’s political universe with Democrats expected to sweep the rest of the races for U.S. House. National attention and money flocked to the northwestern part of the state in a race that could have national and statewide political implications.
As Hayes’ election night watch party in Waterbury was winding down, she addressed the crowd that had thinned out a bit over the past several hours as this race and others across the country remained close. She spoke to supporters before AP called the race.
Speaking to an energetic crowd on Tuesday night, Hayes had said she was not declaring victory but believed that the results looked very promising. She noted that at certain precincts, such as Danbury, people were lined up before polls closed and were still able to cast a ballot hours later.
“I have a feeling when this is called, you will all be very pleased with the outcome,” Hayes said, smiling to a cheering crowd on Tuesday. “It is evidence of your faith and trust in me. It is evidence that you are not trying to move on from the status quo.”
“So I am not declaring victory, but I can tell you unequivocally I know that I am walking in victory. I knew that before today,” she continued. After she spoke, Hayes mingled with supporters and danced to the music as they started breaking down the room.
With the U.S. House majority on the line, the 5th District could play a role in helping to determine which party controls the lower chamber. But even with Hayes’ victory in 2022, Republicans still took back control of the House. The balance of power in Congress, however, remains in flux. Republicans currently control the House, while Democrats hold the Senate, though those majorities are very narrow for both parties.
Connecticut Republicans once again targeted the race in an effort to end their dry spell in Congress since a GOP incumbent or candidate has not won in the state in nearly two decades. The last Republican to serve the 5th District was Nancy Johnson, who was unseated in 2006 by Chris Murphy, who is now a U.S. senator.
Two years ago, Hayes won a nail-biter race against Logan, a former state senator, by a little over 2,000 votes. The race was too close to call on election night, and she was declared the victor the next day. Logan conceded two days after the election.
The Hayes-Logan rematch reprised some of the same themes and issues from their 2022 matchup. They sparred over abortion rights, immigration and the economy. The tone was noticeably more heated this time around, both at their one and only debate last month and the campaign ads that flooded the airwaves.
But one of the biggest differences in this year’s election was that they were vying for office with a presidential race at the top of the ticket, which can drive higher turnout and have a ripple effect down the ballot.
Democratic presidential nominees have carried Connecticut in every election since Bill Clinton’s victory in 1992. The presidential race in Connecticut was almost immediately called for Vice President Kamala Harris minutes after the polls closed in the state.
Still, while there was significant outside spending from both parties, national groups did not spend nearly as much on the 5th District as they did two years ago.
A major national Republican super PAC that was the top spender for Logan in 2022 sat out of the race entirely this year. They pulled a $600,000 ad buy for him in the final few weeks of the race.
Hayes’ campaign convened at the Courtyard Marriott in downtown Waterbury on Tuesday night, holding a watch party at the same venue as she did two years ago.
At least 120 supporters gathered in the hotel’s ballroom as they watched two large TV screens — one with MSNBC monitoring the presidential race and the other with WFSB carrying analysis on Connecticut elections and footage from other watch parties around the state.
Music from a DJ blared on the speakers as guests ate and drank and mingled with others and waited for the guest of honor to speak. The music would periodically cut out for the election broadcasts.
At the beginning of the night, the mood was relatively mellow, with election returns very slowly trickling in the 5th District. It was also shaping up as a long night ahead in swing states that will ultimately determine the race for the White House.
But the party picked up about two hours in as a smattering of guests took to the dance floor. Still, most of the crowd was fixated on the TV screens with election updates.
Logan’s campaign, however, did not hold an election night party and will monitor election returns on its own. He held a party in Waterbury two years ago, but his team decided against one this year with the potential for another long night. His campaign is expected to issue a statement if the race is called.
Both candidates spent Election Day crisscrossing the 5th District and swinging by multiple polling locations throughout the day. In the final hour before polls closed at 8 p.m., Hayes went to a high school in her hometown of Waterbury, while Logan stopped by a polling site in New Britain.
Logan also visited polling sites across the 5th District, including one in Middlebury several hours before polls closed. Dozens of campaign signs lined the perimeter heading into the parking lot of the town’s recreation center.
He greeted a group of Middlebury Republicans who were at a table outside of the polling place, sitting right next to Democrats’ own booth.
On Tuesday afternoon, Logan said he could “feel the energy in the different towns.” He said he will be watching vote turnout in the cities and suburbs of the district.
“It’s a bit of a mixed big. Hopefully we’ll perform better in the urban areas and in the suburban areas. We need more folks to come out and actually vote,” Logan said.
“We’ve been reaching out to the Hispanic population,” he continued, noting his campaign’s Spanish-language ad. “We’ve been reaching out even more to people of color throughout the district, and that includes African Americans, including Asian Americans. We are such a diverse community.”
In the middle of the afternoon, there was no line to get into the building and one voter, Audra Paolini, said she had no issues casting her vote in mid-afternoon. She resides in Middlebury but grew up in Waterbury.
She said she has been more focused on the presidential race and voted all Republicans down the ballot, including for Logan. Tuesday marked her third time she cast her vote for Trump since he first ran for president in 2016.
“I haven’t followed [the 5th District race] as closely as more of the presidential campaigns,” she said. “I think [Trump] did a great job the first time around. I think it was hard for him while in office. They were trying to get him out.”
“He did a lot in a short period of time,” she continued. “I don’t think he was given enough credit to follow through another four more years.”
Paolini said she feels pretty confident in Connecticut’s elections — at least in her region — but shared concerns about voting elsewhere in the country.
Outside a polling place in Plainville earlier on Tuesday, Hayes arrived in an upbeat if slightly punchy mood. She hugged Rebecca Martinez, the Democratic chair on the ballot as a candidate for the state House.
A TV reporter asked Hayes, “How are you feeling?”
“Nauseously optimistic,” Hayes said, laughing. “If there’s such a thing. I’m just glad we’re almost done.”
Hayes said she encountered some ugliness, none directed at her, and one moment of graciousness during a stop for lunch in Farmington. She ate near a table occupied by men in Trump gear, one who stood and approached her. He smiled, offered her his hand and wished her well.
Hayes said the candidates have all made their cases.
“Today belongs to the voters,” she said.
CT Mirror staff writer Mark Pazniokas contributed to this report.
The Connecticut Mirror/Connecticut Public Radio federal policy reporter position is made possible, in part, by funding from the Robert and Margaret Patricelli Family Foundation.
This story was originally published by the Connecticut Mirror.
