Polls Open for Primary in Southington to Determine Candidates

The polls have now opened, the campaigns for hopefuls to represent the Democrat and Republican parties in the November's national election have reached their apex and it's up to voters throughout the state including here in Southington to determine who will make the final decision.

The polls, which officially opened at 6 a.m., will remain open until 8 p.m.

In the race for U.S. Senator, Democrats will choose between the endorsed candidate, Christopher S. Murphy of Cheshire, and challenger Susan Bysiewicz of Bridgeport.

Republicans will choose between the endorsed candidate for U.S. Senator Linda E. McMahon of Greenwich and challenger Christopher Shays of Bridgeport.

This is the seat currently held by U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman who in January 2011 announced his intention to retire from his post.

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There is no primary in the First Congressional District this year. For the Democrats, the endorsed candidate is incumbent , of East Hartford, and the Republican challenger this year is , a Republican businessman from West Hartford.

Finding Your Poll in Southington
There are 11 voter registration districts, which are broken down by street address on the Southington website, www.southington.org, with polling places established as follows:

• (District 1)
• (District 2)
• (District 3)
• (District 4)
• (District 5)
• (District 6)
• (District 8)
• (District 9)
• (District 10)
• (District 11)
• (District 12)

A note to residents: there is "no district 7." A complete list of district locations and where residents should go to vote is available on the town's website and can be accessed in the PDF included above.

About the Candidates

Here is some information about Christopher Murphy from his website:

Chris Murphy is a Democrat representing Connecticut’s 5th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. The 5th District stretches from just west of Hartford to the New York border, containing the towns of Waterbury, Danbury, New Britain, and Meriden, as well as the vast majority of Litchfield County. Chris was first elected to Congress in 2006, defeating 24-year-incumbent Nancy Johnson by running a positive, grassroots campaign. Since his election to Congress, Chris has maintained a constant presence throughout the district when he’s not representing Connecticut in Washington. Chris’ attentiveness to his constituents is well known – an article in a Capitol Hill newspaper, Roll Call, said that Chris is “considered ‘omnipresent’ back home” due to his commitment to knocking on doors year round and holding dozens of supermarket office hours.

Here is some information about Susan Bysiewicz from her website: 

Born and raised on a farm in Middletown, Connecticut, Susan learned from her parents the values that guide her today: hard work, honesty, idealism and service to others.  Her mother, Shirley Raissi Bysiewicz, taught at the University of Connecticut Law School for 33 years and fought for equal employment opportunities for women. Her father, Stanley, served in World War II, ran the family farm and operated a small business. ... Susan was inspired to go into public service in high school after meeting Governor Ella Grasso.... She first ran for state representative in 1992 ... As a state representative, she won passage of laws banning gifts from lobbyists to legislators, making daycare safer and ending “drive through” mastectomies. In 1998, she was elected to serve as Connecticut’s Secretary of the State. Susan has won four statewide elections, including a tough primary election win in 1998, and received nearly 70% of the vote in her 2006 race.

Here is some information about Linda McMahon from her website:

Linda McMahon is widely recognized as one of the country’s top business executives, helping WWE grow from a modest, 13-person company to a global enterprise with over 600 employees headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. ... She spearheaded the creation of Get R.E.A.L education and literacy programs, including WWE’s nationwide Reading Challenge in partnership with the youth division of the American Library Association. ... in 2005 Linda was appointed to the organization’s National Advisory Council. ... Linda serves on the boards of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut; and the Close Up Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to educate and inspire young people to participate in our democracy. In 2009, Linda was appointed by Governor M. Jodi Rell to serve on the Connecticut Board of Education. Since stepping down as chief executive officer of WWE in 2009, Linda has been active with her family foundation to support various Connecticut organizations and programs that promote entrepreneurship and education.

Here is some information about Christopher Shays from his website:

Christopher Shays represented the southwest region of Connecticut from 1987 to 2009 in the United States Congress. Christopher began his career in public service as a member of the Peace Corps in Fiji from 1968 to 1970 with his wife, Betsi. He was elected to the Connecticut State House of Representatives in 1974, serving for thirteen years before his election to Congress in 1987. He was appointed co-chair of the federal Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2009. While a member of Congress, Christopher was a senior member of the House Oversight and Government Reform, Budget, Financial Services, and Homeland Security Committees. He chaired the House Oversight Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats, and International Relations, which played a major role in reforms following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The only Republican congressman from New England elected in 2006, Shays was consistently recognized for his knowledge, hard work, and ability to work with both sides of the political aisle to help resolve major issues confronting our nation.

To find out .

Where The Candidates Will Gather
The candidates will all rendevouz with their campaign staffs during Tuesday evening at hotels, restaurants and other venues, to watch as the vote returns from the primary are called in.

These campaign gatherings happen around the time the polls close, at 8 p.m., and supporters and local reporters will likely show up too.

Here’s a breakdown on where each candidate is expected to be after the votes are called in:

U.S. Senate

• Murphy Campaign: Omni Hotel, 155 Temple St., New Haven
• Bysiewicz Campaign: Mattabesett Canoe Club, 80 Harbor Drive, Middletown (Bysiewicz expected to address supporters at 8:30 p.m.)
• McMahon Campaign: Hilton Stamford Hotel, 1 Stamford Place, Stamford
• Shays Campaign: Campaign Headquarters, 2013 Main St., Stratford

First Congressional District

• Larson Campaign: A spokesman said there were no plans for any events Tuesday. 
• Decker Campaign: Did not return messages seeking information.

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