Chris Murphy's Republican challenger revealed after contentious Connecticut Senate GOP primary
Connecticut hasn't elected a Republican to the Senate in decades
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Military veteran Matthew Corey has won the Republican primary to face Democratic Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy in the fall.
Corey, who owns a bar in Hartford, Connecticut, was runner-up in the state GOP’s nominating convention in May. He previously lost to Murphy in 2018.
He defeated insurance agent and small-town official Gerry Smith, who was favored by the Connecticut Republican Party.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POWER RANKING IN THE 2024 ELECTION
Sen. Chris Murphy attends the Warsaw Security Forum in 2022. (Attila Husejnow/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Smith managed to outraise Corey during the primary cycle, with the latter bringing in just over $30,000 in individual contributions compared to Smith’s roughly $62,000 haul, according to campaign finance data.
But Smith ended the primary cycle with less cash on hand than Corey did – roughly $4,200 compared to $32,000.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The primary winner now faces an uphill climb to the U.S. Senate, however – Connecticut has not elected a Republican to the Senate since 1982, according to the CT Mirror.
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Murphy represented Newtown, Connecticut, when the Sandy Hook shooting took place. (Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)
President Biden won the state by roughly 20 points in 2020 over former President Trump, and there’s not a single Republican in its seven-member congressional delegation.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Murphy’s war chest is also significantly larger than his opponent’s, having brought in nearly $13 million in individual contributions in this election cycle.
He is also heading into the general election with $9.7 million in cash on hand.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Murphy's expected victory will be a welcoming win for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer as he seeks to hold his majority. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The Democratic senator came to national attention as the congressman representing Newtown in 2012 when the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting took place.
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Murphy is seeking a third term in the Senate, having been first elected in 2012.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}While he’s the runaway favorite to win his seat again, the victory is nevertheless welcome padding for Democrats as they face the prospect of losing their razor-thin Senate majority.