Campaign hits the home stretch

Written by Donald Eng
Thursday, 29 October 2009 13:28

Less than a week before Election Day, both candidates are making last-minute pitches for votes and are outwardly confident of success.

First Selectman Raymond G. Baldwin, a Democrat, was touting poll numbers that he said showed him gaining support among politically unaffiliated residents, while officials with Republican challenger Timothy M. Herbst’s

campaign said their own polling showed Herbst making inroads into Democratic voters. Both sides said voter turnout was key.

“Our most recent numbers showed that among Democrats and unaffiliated voters who voted in the last election, our side was running very strong,” Baldwin said. “If those numbers hold up, we’re looking good.”

But Herbst said those numbers contradicted what his own polls showed, which is that when voters were asked if Baldwin deserved another term, or if it was time for someone else, “Someone else” won by 20 points.

Herbst added that his camp was estimating as much as 12% of the voters were still undecided, a number he said would benefit him.

“Historically, people who haven’t made up their minds this late in a campaign break for the challenger by a 2-1 margin,” he said.

Budget promises

Both candidates continued to point to taxes as the primary issue on voters’ minds. Baldwin on Monday committed to an indefinite budget-cutting plan similar to his 2009-