Blumenthal, McMahon to square off in first debate as Conn. US Senate race heats up

Conn. US Senate candidates to debate

HARTFORD, Conn. — Democrat Richard Blumenthal and Republican Linda McMahon will be meeting in their first live televised debate in Connecticut’s U.S. Senate race.

Blumenthal, the state’s attorney general, and McMahon, former chief executive of World Wrestling Entertainment, are locked in a close race marked by negative advertising to fill the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd.

Monday’s event is set for The Bushnell Center for Performing Arts in Hartford, starting at 7 p.m.

A recent Quinnipiac University poll showed Blumenthal with a 3 percentage point lead, which is within the survey’s margin of error.