Connecticut

AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Connecticut's state primaries

Published

1 year ago

August 9, 2024

AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Connecticut's state primaries

WASHINGTON (AP) — Connecticut Republicans will pick nominees in state primaries on Tuesday to challenge two longtime Democratic lawmakers, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy and U.S. Rep. Jim Himes.

The leading GOP hopefuls for each seat won the party’s endorsement at state and district conventions but not by large enough margins to win the nominations outright.

In the U.S. Senate primary, Gerry Smith and Matt Corey will compete for the Republican nomination. Smith serves as first selectman for the town of Beacon Falls and is also an insurance agent and former small business owner. Corey is a bar owner and Navy veteran. He was the Republican nominee against Murphy in 2018 and also challenged Democratic U.S. Rep. John Larson in the 1st Congressional District in 2012, 2014 and 2016. In 2020, he was the Republican nominee for a state Senate seat. Smith received a majority of votes from delegates to the state convention in May, but Corey surpassed the 15% vote threshold required to force a primary. Democrats unanimously nominated Murphy at their state convention, avoiding the need for a primary.

In the 4th Congressional District, Republicans Bob MacGuffie and Michael Goldstein each hope to unseat eight-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Himes. MacGuffie is a former insurance executive and tea party activist from the years of Barack Obama’s presidency. He received the party’s endorsement at the district convention in May by a narrow margin against Goldstein, an attorney and physician who ran unsuccessfully for the 4th District nomination in 2020 and 2022.

Neither seat is a top target for national Republicans hoping to win control of the Senate or maintain control of the House in November. Murphy won reelection in 2018 with 60% of the vote, while President Joe Biden carried the state in 2020 with 59%. Himes received 59% of the vote in his 2022 reelection bid, while district voters preferred Biden by almost two-to-one over Republican Donald Trump in 2020.

Connecticut voters will also decide a handful of state legislative races. Democrats have contested primaries in four state Senate districts and 11 state House districts, while Republicans will face off in one district in each chamber. All state legislative seats are up for election in 2024, although most are not holding primaries.

Elections in Connecticut are run at the town level instead of the county level. All 169 towns will hold Republican primaries because of the contested U.S. Senate race. With Murphy already renominated for his statewide seat, much of the state won’t have Democratic primaries.

Here’s a look at what to expect on Tuesday:

Primary day

The Connecticut state primaries will be held Tuesday. Polls close at 8 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in contested primaries for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, state Senate and state House.

Who gets to vote

Only voters registered with a political party may participate in that party’s primary. Democrats may not vote in the Republican primary or vice versa. Independent or unaffiliated voters may not participate in either primary.

Decision notes

The largest towns in Connecticut are Bridgeport, Stamford, New Haven, Hartford and Waterbury, each with populations exceeding 100,000. Bridgeport and Stamford are in the 4th Congressional District in southwestern Connecticut.

Corey’s and Goldstein’s previous campaigns offer some points of comparison for Tuesday’s contests. In the 2018 U.S. Senate Republican primary, Corey won the nomination with 77% of the vote, carrying all 169 towns along the way. He had 50-point margins or larger in 137 of the state’s 169 towns. In Goldstein’s previous run in the 4th District in 2022, he lost the districtwide vote with 40% of the vote. He carried only Easton, Greenwich and Oxford by narrow margins and lost the district’s 14 other towns, most notably Bridgeport and Stamford.

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

Recounts in Connecticut are automatic if the vote if the vote margin less than 0.5% of the total votes cast, but not exceeding 2,000 votes. Recounts are also automatic in races where the margin is less than 20 votes. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is eligible for a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

What do turnout and advance vote look like?

As of October 2023, there were nearly 2.5 million registered voters in Connecticut. Of those, 36% were Democrats, 20% were Republicans and 42% were independent or unaffiliated.

In the 2022 midterms, turnout was 4% of registered voters in the Republican primary. There was no statewide Democratic contest in that election. Turnout in the 2018 Democratic primary was about 9% of registered voters.

In 2023, Connecticut adopted an early voting law that was first implemented in April’s presidential primaries. In those contests, 26% of Democratic primary voters and 17% of Republican primary voters cast their ballots before election day. By comparison, about 5% of Republican primary voters in the 2022 midterms and 6% of Democratic primary voters in 2018 cast their ballots before election day.

As of Wednesday, more than 6,100 ballots had been cast before primary day, about 54% in the Democratic primary and about 46% in the Republican primary.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the 2022 midterm primaries, the AP first reported results at 8:08 p.m. ET, or eight minutes after polls closed. The election night tabulation ended at 12:52 a.m. ET with more than 99% of total votes counted.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 84 days until the November general election.

___

Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2024 election at https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024.

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Connecticut

New study finds the “100 Most Romantic Restaurants” across the country

Published

6 hours ago

February 1, 2026

Press Room

New study finds the “100 Most Romantic Restaurants” across the country

(NEXSTAR) – It can always be tricky trying to figure out the perfect date for Valentine’s Day. Do I take them somewhere fancy? Maybe somewhere more casual and relaxed? Is the lighting really that important?

Luckily, OpenTable has found the answers for you, having officially named the 100 most romantic restaurants across the U.S.

To find this, OpenTable examined over 9 million reviews from the past year as well as a variety of other metrics to determine which restaurants were the most swoon-worthy spots.

Coming out on top, having the most restaurants to choose from, was Florida, which had ten different restaurants make the list.

Not far behind were both California and Ohio, each having eight restaurants making the list.

Find the closest romantic hot spot to you right here on the full list of the 100 most romantic restaurants in the country, according to OpenTable.

Alabama

Voyagers – Perdido Beach Resort – Orange Beach, AL

Arizona

Cafe Monarch – Scottsdale, AZ
Vivace Restaurant – Tucson, AZ

California

Boulevard – San Francisco, CA
FARM – Palm Springs, CA
Gary Danko – San Francisco, CA
Jeune et Jolie – Carlsbad, CA
Mister A’s – San Diego, CA
Stonehouse at San Ysidro Ranch – Santa Barbara, CA
Summit House – Fullerton – Fullerton, CA
The Marine Room – San Diego, CA

Colorado

Barolo Grill – Denver, CO
Shanahan’s Steakhouse – Denver, CO

Connecticut

J. Gilbert’s – Wood Fired Steaks & Seafood – Glastonbury – Glastonbury, CT
Millwright’s Restaurant – Simsbury, CT

Florida

Angelina’s Ristorante – Bonita Springs, FL
Bern’s Steak House – Tampa, FL
Charley’s Steak House – Tampa, FL – Tampa, FL
Collage Restaurant – St. Augustine, FL
KRES CHOPHOUSE – Orlando, FL
La Nouvelle – St. Augustine, FL
Sails Restaurant – Naples, FL
Sale e Pepe – Marco Beach Ocean Resort – Marco Island, FL
Savour – Tallahassee, FL
The Black Pearl – Dunedin, FL

Georgia

Canoe – Atlanta, GA
Marcel – Atlanta, GA
The Olde Pink House Restaurant •- Savannah, GA

Hawaii

Honu Oceanside – Lahaina, HI
Merriman’s – Maui – Lahaina, HI

Idaho

Chandlers Steakhouse – Boise, ID

Illinois

Geja’s Cafe – Chicago, IL
Meson Sabika – Naperville, IL
Mon Ami Gabi – Chicago, IL
North Pond – Chicago, IL

Indiana

Vida – Indianapolis, IN

Kentucky

Giuseppe’s Ristorante Italiano – Lexington, KY

Louisiana

Irene’s – New Orleans, LA

Massachusetts

Pellana Steakhouse – Peabody, MA
Sorellina Boston – Boston, MA

Maryland

Osteria 177 – Annapolis, MD

Maine

Earth at Hidden Pond – Kennebunkport, ME

Michigan

Leo’s – Grand Rapids, MI

Minnesota

Baldamar – Roseville, MN

Missouri

Charlie Gitto’s “On the Hill” – St. Louis, MO

North Carolina

JOLO Winery & Vineyards – EndPosts Restaurant – Pilot Mountain, NC
Ryan’s Restaurant – Winston-Salem, NC
Steak 48 – Charlotte – Charlotte, NC

New Hampshire

Ristorante Massimo – Portsmouth, NH

New Jersey

618 – Freehold, NJ
Franklinville Inn – Franklinville, NJ
Il Mulino New York – Atlantic City – Atlantic City, NJ
Washington Inn – Cape May, NJ

New Mexico

Geronimo – Santa Fe, NM
Sazon – Santa Fe, NM

Nevada

Eiffel Tower – Las Vegas, NV
Ferraro’s Ristorante – Las Vegas, NV
Ocean Prime – Las Vegas – Las Vegas, NV
Piero’s Italian Cuisine – Las Vegas, NV

New York

The Northport Hotel – Northport, NY
The River Cafe – Brooklyn, NY

Ohio

BOCA – Cincinnati, OH
Butcher & Rose – Columbus, OH
Carlo & Johnny – Cincinnati, OH
Cento – German Village – Columbus, OH
Jag’s Steak & Seafood – West Chester, OH
Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse – Columbus – Columbus, OH
Lindey’s – Columbus, OH
Pier W – Cleveland, OH

Oregon

RingSide Steakhouse – Uptown – Portland, OR

Pennsylvania

Alla Famiglia – Pittsburgh, PA
Altius – Pittsburgh, PA
Belvedere Inn Restaurant and Bar – Lancaster, PA
Butcher & Singer • Philadelphia, PA
Monterey Bay Fish Grotto – Mt. Washington – Pittsburgh, PA

Puerto Rico

Marmalade Restaurant & Wine Bar – Old San Juan, PR

Rhode Island

Boat House Waterfront Dining – Tiverton, RI
White Horse Tavern – Newport, RI

South Carolina

Charlie’s Coastal Bistro (L’etoile Verte) – Hilton Head, SC

Tennessee

Coastal Fish Company – Memphis, TN
Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro – Townsend, TN
Porch & Parlor Prime Steakhouse – Memphis, TN
Sinatra Bar & Lounge – Nashville, TN

Texas

Bohanan’s Prime Steaks and Seafood – San Antonio, TX
Jeffrey’s Restaurant – Austin, TX
Pappas Bros. Steakhouse – Galleria – Houston, TX
Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille – Park District – Dallas, TX
Truluck’s – Ocean’s Finest Seafood & Crab – Austin Arboretum – Austin, TX

Utah

Log Haven – Salt Lake City, UT
Ruth’s Chris Steak House – Salt Lake City – Salt Lake City, UT

Virginia

2941 Restaurant – Falls Church, VA
Bistro L’Hermitage – Woodbridge, VA
Bookbinder’s Seafood and Steakhouse – Richmond, VA
L’Auberge Chez Francois – Great Falls, VA
L’Opossum – Richmond, VA
Le Yaca – Williamsburg – Williamsburg, VA
The Ivy Inn Restaurant – Charlottesville, VA

Washington

Il Terrazzo Carmine – Seattle, WA
The Pink Door – Seattle, WA

Wisconsin

The Del-Bar – Wisconsin Dells & Lake Delton – Wisconsin Dells, WI

To learn more about these restaurants, visit OpenTable’s website for information about each location.

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Connecticut

No. 2 UConn pulls away late in 1st half on way to 85-58 rout of struggling Creighton

Published

18 hours ago

February 1, 2026

Press Room

No. 2 UConn pulls away late in 1st half on way to 85-58 rout of struggling Creighton

Braylon Mullins scored 16 points and Alex Karaban and Silas Demary Jr. had 15 apiece to lead No. 2 UConn in an 85-58 rout of Creighton on Saturday night.

The Huskies (21-1, 11-0 Big East) won their 17th straight game and posted their biggest winning margin in a conference road game in two years.

Creighton (12-10, 6-5) has dropped two straight games by a total of 51 points. The 27-point loss to the Huskies matched the most lopsided at home in coach Greg McDermott’s 16 seasons at Creighton, according to Sportradar.

The Huskies had won five of their previous six games by six points or less, but this turned into a blowout after Creighton went into an offensive lull late in the first half and never recovered. The Huskies shot 54.1% from the field, their best mark in a Big East game this season, and turned 13 offensive rebounds into 23 points. They were 16 of 31 from 3-point range (52%).

Mullins returned to the lineup after sustaining a concussion a week ago against Villanova and missing Tuesday’s game against Providence. He made a couple of early 3s and finished with four in 29 minutes.

Nik Graves and Blake Harper made their first starts since Dec. 7 after McDermott revamped his lineup following a 24-point loss at Marquette. Graves led the Bluejays with 17 points and Harper added 11.

Creighton played on even terms with the Huskies for most of the first half. But the Bluejays went the last 4:41 without a field goal and UConn’s 14-3 spurt to close the period made it 41-30 at the break. The Huskies led by as many as 30 in the second half.

Up next

UConn hosts Xavier on Tuesday.

Creighton visits Georgetown on Wednesday.

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Connecticut

Connecticut Science Center temporarily closed for burst pipe

Published

1 day ago

January 31, 2026

Press Room

Connecticut Science Center temporarily closed for burst pipe

HARTFORD, Conn. (WFSB) – The Connecticut Science Center is temporarily closed for a burst pipe in the building.

As a result, the Science Center posted on Facebook saying they will be closed on Sunday, February 1.

“Our team has been working tirelessly to clean and restore the affected areas, but unfortunately, we will not be ready to reopen on Sunday,” they wrote.

The Science Center told anyone who pre-purchased tickets to use them on a future date or contact the office on Monday for a refund.

“We look forward to welcoming you back very soon,” said the Connecticut Science Center.

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