Linda McMahon, 62, Republican candidate and former chief executive of World Wrestling Entertainment (wife of Vince McMahon, the wrestling commentator and promoter), is ploughing $50m of her own money into this seat, vacated by the retirement of Senator Chris Dodd.
She was originally trailing her Democratic rival, Richard Blumenthal, the popular Connecticut attorney general, but the polls have tightened.
A recent Time/CNN/Opinion Research poll gave Blumenthal a 54-41 per cent lead, with an 11-point lead among independents.
McMahon has done well surfing a wave of anti-Washington sentiment, presenting herself as a successful businesswomen who is best placed to help deliver jobs for the state.
But she has come under scrutiny from a number of groups critical of past use of steroids by peformers employed by the billion-dollar sports corporation and for having profited from alleged sexist and misogynistic programming.
Blumenthal also came under fire when he falsely misrepresented his military service with the Marine Reserves, suggesting that he had served in Vietnam when in fact he hadn’t.
During the second senatorial debate, McMahon told Blumenthal: “You don’t understand business. It’s not your fault. You’ve been in government all your life.”
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Next race: Florida – Senate
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