Murphy Shrugs off Doomsayers and Wins in the Fifth

Despite a late poll showing him trailing by 7 percentage points, Democratic incumbent Chris Murphy beat back a challenge from state Sen. Sam Caligiuri to win a third term in the 5th Congressional District.

"This campaign was the toughest of my career," Murphy said while addressing a banquet room full of media and supporters in Waterbury. "A lot of people said we couldn't overcome the national Republican title wave... Never let anyone tell you a thing cannot be done."

Murphy won all the major cities in the 5th district - including Caligiuri's hometown of Waterbury. The race was hotly contested, with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and independent organizations from both sides pouring money into the contest.

Republicans were hoping to take back this seat from Murphy, who unseated the 24-year Republican incumbent Rep. Nancy Johnson by double-digits in 2006. But the anti-Democratic wave that Democrats across the nation were bracing for was not enough to sweep Murphy out.

"I may be coming back to a Congress that looks very different," Murphy said, adding he will put aside the politics and help get Connecticut residents back to work.