Update: Race for Lt. Gov. Remains Undetermined

Editor's Note: Patch will continue to update you as results come in.

Update 1:42 am

Malloy told his supporters at around 1:10 am that it "appears that we may enjoy a victory tonight." Malloy appeared on stage with his running mate Nancy Wyman and a procession of bagpipers preceded his announcement. Malloy also told supporters that he respected Foley's right to contest the election results. 

Update 1:11 am

In a quick speech in front of his supporters, Foley apologized for the long wait and announced that, although he and his camp think he's ahead of Malloy in terms of votes, he does not want to declare himself the winner since all of the votes have not been counted. He said, however, that he "is quite confident that he will win."

Update 12:42 p.m.

Sen. McDonald again urges the crowd to be patient, saying there will be an announcement in one half-hour.

Update 12:08 p.m.

State Comptroller Nancy Wyman urged the crowd at The Society Room of Hartford to be patient by stating, "There are some people saying we've won this election."

Update: 11:35 p.m.

Justin Clark, Foley's campaign manager, just addressed the crowd: "We feel really good about where we are right now. Tom has about a 50,000-vote lead. We're still waiting for a few more towns to come in but we are looking forward to a great party tonight."

Update: 9 p.m.

According to Fox News Live, the Democratic and Republican tickets for governor are still very close in the polls. The most recent numbers showed Foley ahead with 51 percent and Malloy not far behind with 47 percent. Over the past hour, Foley's numbers were increasingly stronger but now the gap is closing again.

Update: 7:20 p.m.

Mark Boughton just arrived at the Hyatt Regency in Greenwich, where many Republicans will be gathering as they wait for election results. He said that from what he saw throughout the day in about half a dozen towns, the gubernatorial race remains very close. In Danbury, he said numbers so far show him and Foley leading with 52-53 percent. "That 's equivalent to the '06 turnout, if not a little higher, and we're pleased with that."

As for voter turnout as a whole, Boughton said it has been "spotty;" some places drew a strong crowd while others were relatively sleepy.  "It depends on how hard local racers are pushing the vote."

Despite the uncertainty of the election, Boughton remains optimistic. "I feel good, man! We've run as good a race you can possibly run," he said. Boughton spoke with Foley about an hour ago, who also feels confident about the campaign and tonight's results.

That confidence stems from "lots of passion on the GOP side," he said, "People are concerned about the direction of the future of their country, and they're making their voices be heard right now."

Boughton also said that polls from this week showing him and Foley ahead did not surprise him. "In so many different ways, we've really done a tremendous job." If elected, he said administrative meetings will begin tomorrow morning to get the ball rolling. On the other hand, he remains humble, and when asked if he feels like the next lieutenant governor, he said simply: "I will respect the decision either way."

Original Story

Here we are on Election Day, in the thick of a tight race between Democrat  and Republican , and no one is more anxious to hear tonight's final results than their lieutenant gubernatorial counterparts,  and, respectively.

In a Connecticut state survey of 750 likely voters conducted by Rasmussen Reports, released yesterday, Foley edged slightly ahead with 48 percent of the vote compared to Malloy's 46 percent. Similarly, Quinnipiac's poll results show Foley again leading with 48 percent and Malloy close behind with 45 percent support.

Liz Brown, a spokesperson from the Malloy camp, told Patch that her "confidence level is really high."

"I'm in Waterbury right now and I've been in touch with other people throughout the day, and we've seen that the Democrats are really coming out to vote, so that's a good sign," Brown said.

While both camps are running on similar platforms — job creation and security, tax reduction, narrowing the deficit — they have different plans for achieving these goals.

On the subject of tax and budget reform, both lieutenant governor candidates agree that spending should be reduced and carried out more strategically so that Connecticut sees long-term results, not quick fixes.

Wyman, a Tolland resident who has served as comptroller for 16 years, believes she has the right experience in fiscal responsibility that will be of utmost aid in the governor's office. She is focusing on reducing healthcare spending as a major way to save tax dollars and keep the cost of the state's plan down. This would involve pushing for a comprehensive pooling bill that would allow small businesses to group together to buy insurance, expanding HUSKY Primary Care and getting a better share or Medicaid and Medicare dollars, among other strategies.

Danbury resident Boughton, on the other hand, has cited redesigning the state government as a way to reform its budget, and his resume of experience in government gives insight to this stance. Boughton is in his fifth term as mayor of Danbury and has served as a state representative. His campaign website reads "consolidation and merging of departments in the state government to reduce staff and eliminate bureaucracy should be our first order of business." By ending the political pattern of groups of citizens and lawmakers in opposition, a bi-partisan, sustainable tax policy that benefits the whole economy can be created.

In dealing with unemployment, Wyman has said that she and Malloy will work to create new jobs as a main strategy for economic recovery. Their plan includes investing in research and development with the potential to generate 30,000 direct jobs and 75,000 spin-off jobs. Boughton and Foley, on the other hand, are focusing on creating a "pro-business atmosphere" in Connecticut, which entails reducing paperwork, speeding the permit process and cutting energy costs so that small and medium-sized businesses can grow quickly and flourish more easily.

In Patch's , Boughton and Wyman also commented on the issue of transportation. Both candidates seemed to agree that investing in highway repair, updating the rail infrastructure and reducing highway congestion will improve the economy and enhance job security.

The lieutenant governor candidates vow to back their running mate and work in conjunction with him to best serve Connecticut. Wyman and Boughton both have experience in government, and offer specific strategies for the present and future based on these pasts. With yesterday's pre-election results so close, it is safe to say that Wyman and Boughton have been successful in maintaining support from voters.

Tonight's results will reveal for certain which camp went that little bit further.