Abortion at This is the wheelhouse.

It's a show that connects politics.

The people we got your weekly dose of politics in Connecticut and beyond right here.

About an hour to go until the polls close here in Connecticut.

We're going to walk you through the latest on local races.

We're going to check in on all things presidential and look ahead to the future.

You'll hear from some wheelhouse, regulars on.

It's plus Connecticut.

Public reporters in the field reporting on the local congressional races.

We got all your bases covered.

been a chaotic build-up to tonight.

The current President, Joe Biden dropped out of the race the and former President Donald Trump walked away from too 2 assassination The roller coaster won't necessarily and tonight.

So when will a clear winner be declared?

And once the winner is declared, will the American people and the parties except the results so many questions swirling around.

Luckily, I have a panel of esteemed guests here to help answer them right next to be in Hartford on election night.

First, we're way founder and CEO of the narrative project also teaching Quinnipiac University at election.

Happy election night.

Also, good to like was laying in wait, you that White had to do suffer jet White Jonathan Wharton, associate professor of political science at Urban Affairs at Southern Connecticut State University.

Hello, John.

Even cracking York.

So excited.

I don't like to I'd rather be on the radio.

Look better on it.

You look beautiful tonight.

look up and Charles Minotaur Santiago, Charles and associate professor with a joint appointment in the Department of Political Science.

And Ali do though, at University of Connecticut.

Charles, thank you for joining us today, though.

And I you what happened and you should be.

Joining us a little bit later.

We have our colleagues in guest, as we told you coming up, including maybe a surprise guest.

But first, we want to talk about you and we want you to give us a call.

I feel tonight.

We're here for you.

That's why we're live.

So share your thoughts with us.

You can join the conversation.

8, 8, 8, 720-967-7888, 720-9677, C pm.

He's had won big with this as it got in a taxi when it can visit to India jam a nose and a total of get through those settle with a safe city.

See But a fitting ending.

This on his bio.

That's right.

We want bilingual colors.

We'd like to take colors in both languages.

We can mercy.

Get the first question.

We're going to begin at the national level.

What's really at stake tonight?

That's a big question.

You answer?

Yes.

start with women's wearing white for that reason specifically.

I think any woman who thinks about issues be on their themselves beyond their generation.

He's really concerned about the.

Authoritative authoritarian rather ruled that Trump threatens to control women with the sentence.

The phrase, the comment that I will protect your body's whether you like it or not or something to that degree, right?

I think that there is a sense that the Republican Party broadly speaking flip-flops on this.

We want big government.

We want government small.

We want government out of our bedrooms.

But then they legislate in ways that deeply, deeply control women's bodies.

And I think that's on the ballot tonight.

And what we're seeing from women across the state and across the country is they're fed up.

Preview this a little bit later.

But Charles, just high level people care about reproductive rights in surveys all over the place, not as much as the economy and and housing, but it's a top issue for some folks.

Jonathan Warren.

Join us for this conversation.

I just want to know polls leading up to the election showing it's going to be a close race.

We know that sometimes the polls are wrong.

What are you anticipating?

Well, national polls are problematic.

And of course, it's prone to.

This representation or even underrepresentation of a lot of voters.

And we need to remember that, you know, unaffiliated voters, a plurality and so they're representing a good share of and it's difficult to nail them down.

And so we've seen as in previous races, so with the national.

But I do want to south even the state level congressional in our congressional races also taking place in this will be very important on the congressional side of it.

What numbers were dealing with the money simply to voters.

Congressional race is very important.

It was so glad that the team here, including Chloe, when our producer, we got all these interviews with congressional candidates, some of you guys actually took the got to join in on some panels with these guests as well so that we could hear from folks go back to CT Public Dot org.

There nationally.

We're talking about the polls, as I mentioned, last 2 election cycles.

Donald Trump has outperformed the polls and it seems like this time around, too, when Kamala Harris is going to have to outperform the polls.

I mean, where do we start with that?

I think that she has been the underdog for the last 4 months.

It she had a big gap to fill.

She starts the race late.

Quite literally.

When we think about that analogy that the physical imagery of starting the race late, there's something analogous there with where I think black women are in our country in general starting the race from you a finish line.

A starting point.

That is we well behind their white and male counterparts a race that ends up being, you sullied barriers and obstacles throughout the entire way.

And I think that's that those are the characteristics of Kamala uphill battle each other.

Well, its also dynamics of also generational politics.

I think we're tending for ignore that overlook that because obviously she was there to fill in the gaps doing with Joe Biden has possibility of running so we can't overlook just, you know, the generational considerations for That was the reason for all this.

And I finished interest Nancy Pelosi who orchestrated Charles at Allianz to do, though, at the university.

Our students anxious at this time.

You know, I was really excited to see pulls at UConn.

I just wasn't excited try give us a little background on that, right?

Because now you have the first early in person polling place on actual campus.

When I first arrived, you can always always complaining about that because I write 2007.

So the Obama election was a big election, but we can mobilize students because the lines were incredible in stores.

And now we have a poll there and it's hard to mobilize the students to walk right next to the camp, a pavilion which surprising.

But it's a work in progress.

Local races.

Jonathan, you hinted at them earlier.

Is there anything you're watching in particular?

Are we going to have another close race in the 5th district were Jahana Hayes are current Congress?

Well, I guess being a Congress.

Sure.

I mean, obviously it's been a lot tension, national tension related to that.

And certainly the transit area media has been obsessed about this and we can't forget that the national parties have given a lot of money to both races so there's gonna be a lot of attention on this.

Again, this will be interesting because we can you keep in mind the last time around, we had both.

You know, Ken is running.

That was during a midterm race.

So where is the largest share of voters coming up for this race is the presidential one.

So we have to pay attention that turnout effect for both sides.

Both parties.

This is exciting about to do something that really excites me.

We're got to check in with one of our regulars on Connecticut, Publix, the wheelhouse.

We're going hear now from Lisa Hagen, federal policy reporter with both the Connecticut Mirror and Connecticut public.

There she is on screen up in Connecticut, not in the Capitol Hill tonight.

Where are you tonight, Lisa?

Hey, Frankie, I am in downtown Waterbury.

We are very close to Congresswoman Jahana Hayes is Election Day Party.

It's very quiet right now.

Right behind me is where people will start trickling into this ballroom, getting ready to celebrate.

But we got some time as polls are almost closed.

You look terrific.

It's good to see you on camera here.

I just want to know is anybody there ya?

I think mostly to staffers and some press who are very eager to cover share, including Lisa Hagen, who's been covering it pretty much since it ended the last time.

National implications, though, in this race, can you?

that up for us?

We're just talking about.

Yeah, it's definitely possible.

This can be a puzzle piece in the fight over the House majority.

Now, last time John Hayes did win this race in a very close race.

But Republicans still took back the House majority.

So it's completely possible this race can go one way or the other and a different party gets it.

But I think there's a lot of national attention, a lot of national money that's been said that's been put into this race because it could play a role in what will probably be a very again, potentially narrow majority that one of these parties have.

So it's definitely possible this could be.

You know, decide which party will get the House majority or just play a role in how big of a majority or how now over majority either Democrats or Republicans get 2000 votes separated these 2 when they met 2 years ago.

So I just want to know those packs and the money that you said that was coming in nationally.

Do we have any idea if George Logan was able to close the gap financially and if not, did any of these ads such as John Hayes, him saying that she's against police, something like that didn't help his cause in any way.

No, he did not close the fundraising gap, though.

Both candidates did definitely raise a lot more money for them than they did in their 2022.

Campaign.

She still was able to bring in more.

But hey, at the same time, people spent a ton of money on as this campaign cycle and they both had help from national outside groups.

Now, the one thing I will say, though, is that one of the biggest players in the 2022 race for George Logan was Congressional Leadership Fund.

That is a major GOP super PAC.

They did not spend any money in this race time this time around and they pulled about half a million dollars.

So a little bit more into trying to boost him and do ads on his behalf.

And so, you know, a little bit less outside money coming in.

But I mean, you know, voters, I'm pretty sure voters still got inundated with ads.

I was at hotel lobby this morning and saw Jahana Hayes out this morning.

So they had plenty of ads try to reach voters up until the last minute.

Jahana Hayes is partying tonight.

Looks like Lisa Hagens Party and tonight is George Logan Party in tonight.

He is not holding an election watch party.

So we hear from question, Waterbury.

Yeah, I you know, I spoke to his campaign.

they plan to put out a statement depending on how goes.

I mean, I think we're in for potentially long night.

And so we will definitely hear some sort of statement if you know, if a definitive.

Call was made in this race, basically, if it ends up being too close to call a cat was 2 years ago and were into the, you know, one p at 01:00AM to 03:00AM hour.

I imagine we will eventually hear from them, but they're watching the election results and returns on their own Lisa Hagen.

So good to see you tonight.

Thank you for joining us.

Thank you for making this a really rich with news tonight.

Joining us from Waterbury Lisa Hagen is a federal policy reporter for both Connecticut public and of course, the CT mayor, thank you so much, Lisa.

Thanks, Frank.

So we got to hear a little bit there on the 5th district.

What do you all think about what we just heard?

What started off?

Jonathan, you go ahead.

Well, it seems like you had a thought.

I It is interesting about the money money spent and the PAC money coming through both sides.

But clearly got that advantage point.

That's been certainly the focus.

A lot of connecting media.

It is interesting that he's not having election party because it's no secret on this race, previous races when he's running for state Senate poised nail biters.

So I don't forget that part of it.

Even first reelection campaigns.

They've always come in so close.

And I've been in some of election parties in the past with it they're always nail-biters.

They have a lot of lawyers surrounding him.

They always have to kind of compete and fight for every vote.

And so it might come down to a recount again, I bet turnout was tight.

It is going to be definitely more this time around.

More people going turn out to vote, then they did in 2022, it is an election year, just for example, in 2020, the last time that we all vote in the presidential election, he had about 80% turnout, much lower in the mid term.

So how does that impact this race?

You know, it's interesting.

I think that with such a narrow lead in her last race.

has a uphill battle that I am not.

Certain she'll close.

I think we will.

I think she'll go ahead and close it.

But I think some of the pieces that are working her favor of the ones that are also working in jurors Logans ferry.

And here's why even on the wheel house when he and John Hayes were here few weeks ago, I think the way that they separated themselves drizzle can have have this way of talking about himself as a local Republican, a Connecticut Republican and he created a Branford Connecticut Republicans that I think might actually work here for Connecticut Republicans that I understand the national politics.

understand the national landscape, but I'm going to do.

And, you know, from his perspective, he saying I'm going to do what I feel is right for women here in our state.

And I'm going to do what's right for Women in a way that doesn't contradict with the Connecticut constitution.

That means right now protecting women's reproductive rights is what he says.

I think that women, however, have.

A distrust of Republican Party because of things like listening to the Supreme Court candidates when they were testifying interviewing for the job saying, you know, we're going to protect, going to protect growing, right.

And and, you know, as soon as they had a chance to do so they did not.

So it's sort of interesting because I think that a narrow lead is still leading a win is a win either way.

But I think it will be a referendum the Democratic Party if that lead isn't as big as the investment in her race wanted it to be.

I want to expand on this conversation.

I want to talk about investment.

I want to talk about what makes this a juicy race.

Joining us now from New York City.

A surprise guests.

Leah Wright Rigueur associate professor of history at John Hopkins, Johns Hopkins University and author of the Loneliness of the Black Republican, pragmatic Politics and the pursuit of power we have.

Thanks so much for joining us tonight.

We appreciate it.

Always a pleasure to be with the guys and you're working on another book as well, too.

I am.

I'm actually working a cold black collar criminals.

That's about scandal and corruption.

During the 1980's through the present day in the White House.

And where do we find it when it comes out?

It is not when it comes out, it'll be everywhere, but it's not out yet.

All Be looking for that.

Hey, you got to hear mercy.

Talk a little bit about maybe this being a referendum on the Democratic Party of if this district in for folks that don't know.

Of you have lived in Connecticut.

So you're familiar with the Connecticut.

Just help us understand how this potentially could be a referendum on the Democratic Party something were to happen to John Annis.

So I think there are couple of things come to mind.

The first is that the American public, but in particular, the American public that has really undermined that he's really underscored the Democratic Party with in Connecticut has been expressing its frustration for the last couple of years and they've been extra expressing their frustration on any number of issues.

But the number one issue that they have been articulating has been the economy.

Now, why is that a problem?

It's a problem because by all measures the economy is doing better now than it was 4 years ago.

And that's partly because we've come out of we came out of the pandemic and we can feel it inside.

very specific ways.

Around issues like GDP were at the lowest unemployment that we've seen in quite some time.

But that's not necessarily translating into the micro.

So how are people feeling that on a day-to-day basis?

Just a really quick example of even though we're seeing that people are finding jobs or there's high levels of employment, there may not be social mobility within that employment.

So you might be able to get a job, but you not might not be able to move up the job.

The job ladder.

We also know that rent is sky high.

This astronomical, the cost of food globally is astronomically high rate inflation.

And so what we see is that people on the ground are pointing to Democrats and saying, well, you guys have been in power.

What have you been doing to make to make it so that I don't have to feel the pain of this complicated and complex economy.

So we do see, I think somebody like Hayes is incredibly popular trouble or even losing her race.

The first thing that the Democratic Party is going to have to point to is this disconnect between the actual metrics of the economy, but then also what are people feeling in their day-to-day lives?

This is a giant district.

Charles were talking about encompassing much of.

Litchfield County.

Also cave-in county as well.

Some of the New Haven County, most of the western part of the state.

So help me understand what people are going through in this district as we just had underscored by Lee, of course, a lot of things happening with the economy.

She was talking about inflation.

She was talking about groceries.

These things are generally going to get pinned, whether we like it or not.

And the current administration, we're seen also food insecurity.

We're seeing also questions around taxes, high taxes and how that's impacting.

We're hearing that from voters, potential orders.

But what also seemed to have connecting with people in areas that I wouldn't expect it to connect.

And I don't know whether background a teacher and she has an ability to communicate in different ways, but just been fairly successful and he had an opportunity to talk to some people who are working on her campaign and they're really excited about the potential for winning again because she had made those local connections in areas where Democrats normally would not have any connections residents.

Jonathan, I mentioned the turnout things that can help Jahana Hayes tonight.

That was the thought that a lot of political pundits here in Connecticut, Yvette.

Well, that's what I brought up earlier, right?

The midterm versus the presidential.

Yes, out and one thing else to add the on that is, you know, they call the fighting fit for a reason.

I mean, this is a district where, as you mentioned, is pretty spread out geographically demographically and politically.

And so it it was kind of a hodgepodge of really 2 districts going back to the early 90's before it changed over.

So you're dealing with quite a diverse population even a larger share of of unaffiliated voters in the state.

From a public relations point of view.

I think, you know, even the fact that Logan Eason holding a up a party tonight.

Tells you a lot about what his connections were on the campaign trail.

you know, I will say that candidates, regardless of whether you think your your your the likelihood of you winning you know, lower than you wanted to be.

You'll hold a party because you want to engage with the voters.

The volunteers you want to engage with the campaign, folks who try to get you in office.

It is poor public relations choice to not hold a party.

And I think Jahana Hayes, I think that speaks a little bit to what we what we heard before about the relationship was able to make on the campaign trail, Rick.

Also whether she can she's going to win or not.

There's an opportunity for her to connect to thank them and to say, listen, we're not going to stop fighting.

We're going to keep continue going.

And that's a missed opportunity for Logan.

joining us from the Big Apple tonight.

Ballot access on the ballot, though, here in Connecticut shall the Constitution of the state be amended to permit the General Assembly to allow each voter to vote by absentee ballot.

That's a question a lot of people got Connecticut, essentially state residents getting no, not a no longer needing excuse me and excuse to vote by absentee ballot.

Historically, who has been behind the universal absentee ballot and who might help.

So by and large absentee ballots and the expansion of the franchise has been something that has been instrumental to what we would call a classical or liberal democracy is something that we think about quite a in terms of political science.

Also kind of historical democracy studies that kind of thing.

The idea here is that you want to expand the franchise that this is one of the most valuable tools in a larger Democratic tool kit that you can have on the ground.

And one of the things that we have seen over the course of the last several decades is that in within the state of Connecticut, Democrats have pushed very heavily for the expansion both franchise and registration but also for access to the ballot.

One of the things that we learned in the 2020 presidential election.

remember those conditions?

We said, how can we make people?

How can we allow people access to the vote will also keeping them safe, given that we're in the midst of a global pandemic with thousands of people dying per day.

One of the things that Connecticut did was put in place things like widespread absentee ballot, ballot options and they saw it had resoundingly success.

People actively went out.

We're seeing the same thing with early voting, right when you put those things.

But those measures of democracy that expand the franchise in place, people take advantage of them.

And so what we're seeing right now is that this long-term push to expand the franchise to expand Democratic tools.

It's actually been very successful.

So the American people who benefits from this, the American people do.

The residents of Connecticut benefit from this.

However, there is a caveat to that over the course of the last several years, particularly in in partisan and polarized moment.

We see that Democrats also benefit more from things like absentee balloting, expanding the franchise.

You may have heard the phrase when you come out to vote, Democrats win.

And so there's certainly an element to it that has a partisan edge.

And so one of the things that we have seen over and over again is that Republican partisans have resisted this idea of expanding the franchise because just by and large does not favor of them.

I will add one little exception to this.

Republicans nationwide, but also in Connecticut have realized that there is a we'll disconnect between absentee balloting early voting.

We've actually begin begin to see from Republicans take a stance that actually it is good for our party and democracy for us to do in engage in these kinds of things.

So I would not be surprised to see that this is the kind of measure that passes with broad bipartisan support, particularly in despite the fact that we are in this highly polarized controversial moment and partisan moment.

This is something we can all agree on.

Certainly popular in Connecticut and beyond.

Right now, early in-person voting.

I just want to let folks know that you can give us a call.

We are taking phone calls in both English and as new role today, as we do, have a violent will cause screener.

So give us a call.

8, 7, 2, 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 7, 2, 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, mercy.

I want you to listen to next clip.

I Thanks to that ballot question we had in the 2022 midterms.

We have early in person voting.

Mark Mirko, deputy director of visuals that Connecticut public got a chance to talk to one early voter.

Daniel de Jesus.

He told Mark that because he worked a double shift on Tuesdays would have been able to vote, had it not been for the early voting option.

Here's Daniel.

I feel like I have a reasonable right now.

No this country is has been going last year's.

It made me get out my seat.

Coming Early voting made it possible for Daniel the vote for his candidate of choice.

Former President Donald Trump Mursi.

What are you hearing about this turnout?

We know that we've had something like 750,000 people almost in Connecticut that came out for early in-person voting this year.

And considering that the population of Connecticut stands at just over Yeah.

I mean, if that's that's considerable, right?

We're almost at a 3rd the residents voting early.

And I think that that I one of the things that our country our state does really well we're not interested in disenfranchising the vote.

We are interested in opening the vote as much as possible.

Now, I do think that there's there's pushback in some places, but I will say that early voting measures have shown that when you make voting access to the ballots easier people will show out.

The other thing that I'll say is you know, I find interesting my nephew was really excited.

He was actually nephew's name.

He's name is Quay his we love So he was actually at a police action this morning at 06:00AM with his parents.

And he was interviewed by someone from public.

And, you know, 7 year-old really And then I heard him in the back on the phone throughout the day.

When I was I'm told my sister like a rate because kids are off from school today because we get close the schools on Election Day.

Here's the problem.

We don't.

It's not a federal holiday.

So while the kids are off, the parents are on.

So there is this.

I want us to get to the point where we have, even if it's just a measure that we've adopted here in the state.

Let's close you know, estate holiday, whatever that might look like because state employees and out at the very least, if there's a way that we can make access to the polls, even easier.

I think we'll have higher turnout.

And I think we'll have better results for people's people's rights.

Great start to our election night show in Connecticut.

Coming up next, we surveyed our listeners and you responded Time 750.

What did Connecticut public and the wheelhouse listeners care about?

Most in the months leading up to Election Day?

Stick around for more check INS with our reporters in the field.

And if you have a question about anything you've heard so far, you want to share your voting experience with us.

Whatever.

Join the conversation.

888-720-9677.

♪ ♪ ♪ I've had a relationship like this.

You know, they're being was in the military.

motion relationship on very different level.

Might might might might get some additional do anything for me.

And I'm going to find Wednesday night at 9 on Spirit.

I'm a proud supporter of Connecticut, public member of the community Advisory report.

Are you passionate about public media?

Connecticut public is looking for new members to join our community advisory board represent the interests of our viewers, listeners and readers and help gather feedback about our programming.

Well, I'm very honored to be part of the community Advisory board because I have seen the dedication and the hours that people put into doing what our mission e-mail audience care at CT Public Dot Org.

Wheelhouse from Connecticut, public Radio.

I'm Frankie Graziano.

It's election night in Connecticut beyond.

excited.

Unpacking what the outcomes could mean for folks across the country and here at home all that sounds scary.

But before we get back to some expert analysis from our Steve Panel, that's better.

Let's check in with another Connecticut public reporter in the field it's everywhere.

Eddie Eddie Martinez focusing on breaking news in Fairfield County for Connecticut.

Public.

It's been all over New Haven County today in Fairfield County.

Good evening.

Good evening.

Thank you.

How are you?

I'm doing well, Hamill little stressed here, but I'm calming down now that I'm talking to you where you add, are you in Fairfield County?

Right now?

I'm about to head out to a in the care of an art studio in Fairfield University about that All right.

Where you going.

Going to Election Night Party is over Greenwich for both local for the Democratic Party.

Tell me a little bit about that race that you're going to be seeing down there.

I think this is one of the situations where we could have a in at least the Connecticut's Senate.

There may be too, that we've heard about.

Obviously, Tony, weighing is one he's going against Rob Blanchard, but the other one and this is the party that you'll be going to is Nick Fos excuse me, Nick Simmons versus Ryan Fazio.

If I could talk tonight.

yeah.

Of The going up against each other Florida.

Control of the was was able when back in 2022.

And the Simmons and the local Republican Party in Greenwich of told me that they both feel pretty good about turnout.

They both them, the feeling optimistic.

Who do you expect to see at this party later?

Where is this?

Is this I could get a Republicans kind of deal.

all the people on only most positive, stables or braces, they should be there as well.

Another race to watch in that district.

Of course, we have Jim Himes bid for re-election.

I just mentioned that you have Rob Blanchard and Tony W***, any other things that you're watching down there.

And, of so job to car Wilcox running for the seat in the 22nd.

Give something on one of those races.

Yeah.

A Come to get Wilcox a she read one the primary over the over the summer off to take over a Maryland Morsi to on the Democratic side.

And so it because of the because Bridgeport is a heavily Democratic city.

She has of pretty solid chance of winning.

But of course, nothing is certain that she does when she Woods one of the I I believe the person South Asian descent represent that district.

If I were to ever talked to somebody on the phone and they were on the other line at hope it would be you if I were asking about the Valley.

And I know that you've been following care, Rachel and her race down there.

Can you give me anything happening in the Valley?

Yeah.

From of so I've paying attention to race here and over the last few weeks and the U.S. it's a it's has it has been going She We're going up against a the current Mayor, David custody, who is a Republican, Boca say and Rochelle have been attacking each other over social media over the last few from everything can including rochelle's ties to a a for West Haven official, too.

Rachel, accusing Acosta Rachel Campaign the city government you misusing funds or I'm sorry.

Number of this stuff not applying for a grant to help hub city and they've It's basically been a lot rehashing of a lot of us given says that popped up to groups over the last few years.

Rochelle, when against a former a good win in 2022.

Against A full other GOP opponent, but her lead last time was a little bit less than it was in 2020 but in in 2020. she this one in 2020 with a higher margin, probably cause of the turnout for the presidential elections.

And because this is a presidential election now she may.

If she does, when she may, when by higher margins.

So good to hear from you everywhere.

Eddie, thanks for is like Roy Kent.

He's here.

He's there.

He's everywhere.

Thanks for checking in.

Good luck out there.

The rest of the night.

Thank you.

Thank you.

He's following that.

Ryan Fazio, Nick Simmons race and he's also following Tony Wong he's going against Rob Blanchard.

Any Martinez, Connecticut, public general assignment, reporter Fairfield County.

Still with us.

We are right Gore or seek way.

Charles Bennett or Santiago in Jonathan Warren.

We're holding space for election analysis, but more importantly, your reactions tonight.

Give us a call.

888-720-9677.

It is 8, 7, 2, 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, had won big with the suspect.

Got in a taxi when it can visit India jam a nose and a total of get through those settle with a safe city.

See But it's a fitting ending.

This on his bio.

Just heard a lot from any about the Senate races in Fairfield and then about Cairo shall see the New Haven.

I know you're out and about in New Haven.

I know you're out and about in Branford.

What are you hearing about down?

There may be some potential seat flips.

Well, I've been always like you intrigued by the Valley.

Naugatuck Valley is legendary from the valley in from the upper part all the way up.

But yeah, you notice right behind Lower I have heard that for the valley guys.

point.

Lower valleys, a below Waterbury.

So, yes, you're right.

But I you know, one thing to keep my sister to says that that was this is all districts.

So this is quite interesting, right?

Because declared a sisters have been representing the Valley for years.

And they have leaned been Republican for quite a while.

everybody's me pay attention.

That race and I you know, the mayor running for the seat is quite an interesting situation because he's a very popular mayor in Ansonia.

And so I'm sure that's me.

A lot of tension on this return out and what the results could be for this.

And I went back to the Pfizer race and the senators.

That is an amazing race because member that that got, you know, we designed so was the favorite more the Democrats in the public.

And so keep that in mind going that way towards Fairfield County to we're going to slide.

I love the said towards Fairfield County because we're going to slide Route 8 in such an 95 and get to Fairfield County.

And then we're gonna go national.

Marcia recently heard Republicans lament about how the demographics are shifting in Fairfield County.

Now it's why we're hearing that maybe the seats may be up for grabs left-leaning voters with a lot of money.

Now living in Fairfield County sounds like some folks are sad about that.

What are your thoughts behind that characterization?

I think it's accurate.

I think they should be afraid, right?

I think so.

Here's the thing right.

this all plays into the Browning of America and the the fear you know, losing a a white majority in our country.

been going in this direction for a long time.

demographics don't white in dark so to speak, write.

And so by that, I mean, that diversity is going to continue to happen to us.

And if we create.

If we don't create poly policies that people of color can stand on them, they're going to lean towards the parties that.

Speak for them.

And the reality is what we're seeing and I'd like to, you know, the twice as rule.

We all of people of color always know about the twice as a rule.

You have to be twice as good to get half as much right.

We've been and bred on this rhetoric.

That's why says rule has led black and brown young people to college in droves in ways that have lead to careers in tech careers industries that mean that they're making a little bit more money than their generations before them.

And when you have a higher demographic of black and brown young people who are interested in politics and they have disposable income.

It's a bad equation that doesn't equal 2 a good X Ford, the Republican Party who doesn't want to acknowledge that black and brown people exist or have issues that they want to legislate for.

John.

I want jump in a second.

But first, I want to bring in here because I want to talk about the socioeconomic gap in Fairfield County among the worst in the country.

I think people outside a Connecticut know that too, particularly between Bridgeport and other cities in Fairfield County.

So any thoughts on how this will impact the way that folks vote and even nationally, if there's other cities and towns in America that are in this kind of similar situation that we find Bridgeport and the rest of Fairfield County Norwalk insurer feel County as well.

Sure.

So it's what we call a rich, poor state.

So Connecticut is notable and noteworthy because it has one of the poorest countries cities in the country right next to several of the wealthiest cities in the country.

I think 2 different ways that we can look at this in terms of turnout, one, which is that you have this kind of burgeoning liberal, wealthy class that is emerging in these traditional traditionally Republican spaces.

And that's turning this area relatively a blue.

But it's also true that the working class and poor voters in these kind of poor areas that tend to be disproportionately black and brown also tend to trend democratic or blue.

So you now have this interesting, I think coalition that has been there before that we've seen nationally on a national scale on a number of different issues and they're different reasons why these 2 groups of these 2 classes vote liberal or vote blue are both Democratic with that.

I would offer one little caveat and I think we actually heard it from that commentator from call in a couple of minutes ago from someone who said it sound like I believe he was a working class voter who is coming out of these things.

Waterbury, Connecticut, Waterbury, Connecticut, so not, you know, not Fairfield County, but certainly we do see a new segment and sliver of these black and brown poor and working class people who have said, you know what, I want to try something different.

And so we're seeing that they are registering certainly there registering to vote as Democrats, but that they are casting their beginning to cast ballots or Republicans.

So not in any sizable number, not in any number that should make us go.

You know, oh, this is going to flip.

This is going to be a radical realignment, but enough so that if you're a Democrat and you're looking at this kind of loose coalition that has assembled across class basically little issues you should be concerned because the base of that group is black and brown working class and poor people that have for several years are saying and looking at the economy, the socioeconomic issues and saying I am deeply frustrated with how Democrats have handled this over the last 3 and a half for years.

It doesn't necessarily reflect what is actually going on.

But it reflects how people are feeling in their day-to-day lives.

So I would pay very careful attention to that.

And look at this as a new kind of alliance are legions.

That is also really, really fragile, John.

And just a quick comment on how these things are evolving in Fairfield County just to just how the demographics may be shifting and there may be more blue votes Connecticut's gold Coast here.

Well, let me do a shout-out personally because I'm a big group hers shares interest.

And you know, concerns about the Republican Party.

I think one thing to keep in mind is that we have a lot of new residents arrive in a place like Fairfield County, as offering younger voters certainly involved in tech.

All these things are considering.

But remember, they're new to Connecticut and many of them.

Our they might be leaning Democratic ties with so many of them are unaffiliated voters and more importantly, are they really aware of all the Connecticut center issues and federal counties quirky because it's such a divided media space, mercy, you know this better than I do because I kind of not brought into the loop on Connecticut media.

So the kind of left to weigh in there more to their to the New York media.

So this is another issue consideration, not just for, you know, certainly campaigns a certainly for donors engagement, that kind of thing to be aware what is going on in Fairfield County where they might be disconnected in these new residents arriving mostly from New York.

It's a result.

The pandemic.

We actually have a caller which is exciting.

Evelyn from West Hartford, live on election night.

I want to hear what your comment is.

Go ahead.

Thank you for calling.

Yes, thank you for having me very quickly.

I have been traveling Philadelphia on the weekend to campus.

With a terrific effort to group uses a methodology called canvassing that targeted black and brown communities inside Philadelphia.

March.

And we were able to accomplish.

Canvassing upwards of 20,000 people.

But then we worked to get out the vote for and it was very impressive.

We saw so many so much feedback from the community that we knew would be heavily on the Democratic although we pitched to a few Republican leaning voters, India's top particular neighborhoods.

Thank you so much for calling Evelyn.

now going to pivot to Lea just because I'm really glad that Leah, Evelyn share that perspective.

I want to see if that kind of dji's with anything that we just spoke about.

Leanne, anything that you just and lightness with.

Sure.

I think the one of the things that we're seeing in this election actually there are 2 things.

big things that we should point out during the election.

One that the kind of coalitions that I think defined Barack Obama's.

You know, I carry Barack Obama to the White House and also were instrumental in Joe Biden winning in Twenty-twenty that those kind of alliances and those kinds of allegiances are still there in right now.

If we end up seen it, Kamala Harris victory, it will be because those alliances, those allegiances, that solidarity that we saw in with Barack Obama that we saw with Joe Biden, that the Kamala Harris campaign and ground game was able to pick up on that.

And I have to say that the ground game that we've seen has been extensive.

It is you know, I think the caller mentioned, you know, they've been canvassing, but it's not just canvassing.

It's spreading out into using new technologies and new techniques in order to target voters who are not just likely voters but voters who are unlikely voters, first-time voters, nonvoters that is incredibly power involving George Bush's daughter in this endeavor as well lunch.

And as I understand, listen, everybody is coming out right now.

I think, you know, I went I will visit when we saw Lynne Cheney and Bernie Sanders on the same side of things, you know that something is seriously going on in this country.

But with that said, I do have to add a coffee at which is that we have also seen an uptick in the number of voters of color.

Though, all be very, very, very small minority and percentage.

The majority of voters of color going to overwhelmingly vote for Kamala Harris.

We have seen an uptick in the number of voters of color that are willing to experiment with Donald Trump.

And there are a lot of reasons for that.

Probably too many reasons for us to go into during during which time we have left.

But it is something for us to keep an eye on.

And I would argue it's not because of Trump.

There that there that these are people who are casting ballots for Trump despite Donald Trump and it has everything to do with this very fragile and fractious relationship that black and brown voters have with the Democratic Party.

I would pay attention to that tonight, particularly in swing areas.

And some other issues that we're paying attention to.

I want to tell you about earlier this year we asked our audience to identify election issues.

They cared about.

Want to hear more about from the media, both local and national, 750 people responded to our survey.

We collaborated with our of easing a massive esta gated team led by Dean to turn your responses into data we could use to shape our coverage.

5 main takeaways are, of course, the economy.

Number one, including cost of living lot of people talking to us about inflation as well.

Immigration, mostly rhetoric surrounding it and the situation at the southern border which people are upset about.

And 3rd, most top of mind, democracy.

4th, the respondents asking about politicians offering solutions to climate change.

And finally, reproductive rights particularly in the wake of the overturning of Roe versus Wade and concerns about a national abortion ban.

Lea, I just threw 5 things that you can pick out.

One of those and may be align it with what voters are thinking.

So I think one is the economy, but I think we've talked a lot about the economy.

So I'm actually going to skip that one.

The one that I think it's really powerful is will there to that I think are really powerful.

The first one is the concern with democracy.

fact that voters have ranked that is I believe numbers 3 should be a warning shot to anyone who supports the Republican candidate right now or supports candidates that support Donald Trump because of people are deeply concerned about can democracy.

That is the message that initially Joe Biden was pushing in that now Kamala Harris has been pushing.

So it means that something is translating that people are deeply concerned about that.

But the other thing, reproductive choice, reproductive rights.

The fallout from the Dobbs decision in 2022, what is really quite incredible is that since 2022 support for reproductive choice, reproductive rights and for abortion has actually skyrocketed amongst the American public, including and this is not just an issue that is related to women, but including amongst men, almost nearly 70% of the population believes in reproductive choice and abortion rights within some parameter rate within the first under the parameters Roe Wade.

What that tells us is that the Republican Party has a significant issue.

On this that they passed and put into law and overturned something that is deeply unpopular but put into effect something debt.

majority of Americans are opposed to.

And so I would be really I would be really watching to see how Americans respond and how Connecticut respect Connecticut residents respond to these issues because they have rated very high on their issue of things that they care about going into this election.

It tells us that reproductive choice, abortion rights, women's health and gender rights actually matter and are on the ballot this year.

Like with our election survey, we asked attendees of the Puerto Rican Day Parade in Hartford in September.

What was on their minds as Election Day approached with a loaded question.

I asked them I went to the parade with a friend of mine, Martha Castillo.

She's an associate social media editor at Connecticut public.

She put together the following.

We've been doing like surveys.

So we've been asking a lot of people, the kind of issues that they care about when they vote.

We've heard a lot of different responses, but I just kind of want to ask you that general question, what kind of things you think about?

Definitely health care.

I think we need to provide more health care benefits to people that are coming into this country as well as our Hispanic invest in their owning on the Senate.

Be NBC see up Biden coming up the show to higher than me.

I definitely say housing housing is a big thing.

I feel like rent is very high.

Definitely needs to come down if not coming down at the same.

And I would definitely say that was motivating me to go bowl is the anti-abortion or if their pro abortion, because I believe that women should have the right to decide what they're going to do with their body.

You one of those inequities health care, they are tremendous.

The other one is education.

You know, I think personally.

The Grey's Invest what you give anybody is a good education.

My big thing is funding I want to keep money in the schools because and climate going because it's good to have anything to do.

You give program to give them they can do and work toward the future.

That's what we need.

I think one of the biggest things right now is housing rents are super high.

Homelessness is high.

People can't afford to live anywhere.

Decent.

Housing.

I think more for younger generation who was trying to.

Established life.

The economy is so expensive these days.

So it's hard for our youth.

Our 18 to 25 year-olds to go out there and try to buy a house try to get out an apartment because the apartments and housing is so expensive.

I want to see someone in political office.

That's a public servant that is really looking out for the well, be of my family, my community, and those are the people that motivate me to get to the polls to make sure that they're they're representing.

Charles Housing came up a lot, a lack of adequate health care as well.

What did year and that he's so we ran a survey last week putting his likeness in the state and they in it.

Ballot did everything that was said there.

How however, it's higher among Democrats than Republicans.

So among Republican Puerto Rican, Latino Republicans, immigration and food insecurity, a top issues.

everybody else, economy, housing, education, health care are important issues.

One of the key problems with health care and other issues, this lack of translators or interpreters, just not that there's not enough health care issues that they're not receiving appropriate access to health care throughout the state because they can't communicate in many instances but we're also seen an Putin and voting rights saying they're going to vote for Trump even though they don't agree with this policy, but they feel the Democratic Party has not responded to the needs of the state.

And we're seeing that across the board, not just with voters, but with legislators.

We're saying the same thing.

I can't wait to drill down into that even further with you in the coming weeks.

So stick tune to that is one of our regulars, Charles Bennett or Santiago continue to join us on the wheel house from Connecticut, Public Radio.

This is the wheelhouse fragrant down.

Just before we go to break, I want to tell you about an interview coming up on the wheel house soon.

It's a discussion on how gun policy impacts survivors of gun violence.

Going to be joined by Francine Wheeler.

She's the mother, a first grader.

Ben Wheeler Ban was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting.

She's going to talk to us in advance of a November 15th event benefiting a charity created her son's memory called Ben's Lighthouse.

Want to learn more about the will link it to our website.

Tonight is election night.

We're back with more.

We'll house after a quick break.

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♪ ♪ The wheel house.

I'm Frankie Graziano from Connecticut, Public Radio.

Just a few minutes left before the polls close in Connecticut and some other important states as well.

Special edition of the wheelhouse.

Still with us, author and associate professor Leah Wright associate professor Johns Hopkins University, Mercy Quay CEO and founder of the Narrative project, UConn professor Charles Bennett or Santiago and Jonathan Wharton, professor at Southern Connecticut State University.

Hey, guys, throw something at me here today.

If somebody is really anxious, what can they do?

They breathe.

What should we do?

Anybody got it.

Have a Jonathan have a beer.

Sign me up.

What do you think?

Charles?

Take a deep breath in a shower and relax.

I think it's important to remember that this is only one day then the sun will come out tomorrow regardless of where politics go tonight or if we find out tomorrow later this week, the work continues.

Either My daughter's name is Annie.

So I like that Lea.

Give us something positive that we can before we talk about some positive things on the way out, something we could do to kind chill year.

I like your shirt.

It's a yes, voting is caught from v-dot or the non-partisan pro-democracy organization that helps us since expanded franchise.

So that everyone has the right to vote and can exercise their right to So what can you do?

You can start by turning off the news.

There is nothing that you can get from watching television right now because we're not going to know anything.

Certainly not tonight.

And we may not know anything tomorrow, either.

So as much as I want to say, you know, I'm going to be on television for the rest of the night.

I'm actually going to be on until 9 in the morning as much as I want to say to an end.

Yes, as much as I want to say to noon, I'm also going to tell people tune out.

Go have a drink, have a nice dinner.

Enjoy the really amazing weather.

Connecticut is beautiful right now and take it all in because this is not the way to spend your night being anxious and stressing what we cannot control.

You've done your part.

You cast your vote.

Now it's time to relax.

We'll figure it all out tomorrow or at least by the end of the week.

Let me give you guys 10 to 15 seconds for a final thought.

Leah finishes finishes up on your part.

So my final thought is actually going to contradict my that thought.

I just gave is that we all have a role to play in the upholding of our democracy.

Your boat is just one of many tools that you have that help our republic that help our nation continue to move around the things that we think of as democratic norms, that things that we think of this democracy are just there, which should just take them for granted.

The bear upheld by individuals and by people, not by institutions.

So if you truly believe in democracy, if you truly want to see a better place for our country and for your children, for your nieces, nephews and friends.

Then again in do the work and do a job.

Charles, all you can do.

This is the time to think of the debate and the difference between the political and politics.

The political institutions are going to keep going but politics a select few get the thing that we just need to keep pushing in the right direction.

John I want to pay attention.

The exit polls, particularly the turnout and generationally that the very important this time around.

It's funny.

talk about that tomorrow.

I like that.

Go ahead, Susan.

B, Anthony once said, I will cut off this right arm of mind before I allow the black woman a chance to vote and it would be ironic our first female president was a black woman.

And I think that's something to celebrate.

A lot of pride for mercy Quay.

We enjoyed her tonight under suffragette white and of course, Jonathan Warren, Charles Bennett or Santiago and Leah Wright Rigueur.

Thank you so much.

What a great panel.

That's it for tonight's show.

We're going to be back tomorrow morning at 09:00AM.

That's right.

More space for you to talk.

We'll be right back.

Tomorrow morning at 09:00AM recapping local elections and more.

Listen, I to cut public radar.

Watch the show.

Youtube dot com slash Connecticut public.

Thank you so much to our producer, Chloe.

When Robin do in a can, Dylan Reyes Magdalen and so many more.

Thank you so much for the great night on the wheel house.

Have a good night.

We'll see it tomorrow.

9 o'clock.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪