When Linda McMahon launched her campaign and announced her intention to become a U.S. Senator in 2011, she wanted to do so at a small business fighting to make ends meet and providing jobs for the economy, the top priority she would have if elected to office.
, found that business in Southington’s Coil Pro on West Center Street and on Monday, she returned to the spot where it all began as she hosted a closing rally to offer thanks to her supporters and reinforce a message she has delivered from day one: job creation will be the top priority if the former WWE CEO is elected to office.
“Small businesses are just in my blood,” McMahon said. “Its what I’ve done. It’s what I’ve built from the ground up. It’s what I know and understand.”
Over 50 members of the community including local business owners, Republican supporters and elected officials came together at Coil Pro to support McMahon, who said voter turnout and education will be the key to victory.
In a hard-fought campaign that has included numerous back and forth criticism of both McMahon and her opponent, Democrat Christopher Murphy, McMahon took a step away from her opponent to focus on the people. She did not even mention her opponent as she asked supporters to continue to work towards victory until the polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Murphy, who is looking to make the jump from U.S. Representative to Senator, made several stops of his own Monday including in nearby Middletown, as he touted his own record for supporting job creation.
“Murphy will rally supporters and contrast his record of fighting to bring good jobs back to Connecticut with Linda McMahon’s copied-and-pasted right wing Republican talking points; of fighting to protect Connecticut seniors with McMahon’s plan to privatize Medicare and end Social Security; and fighting for women’s rights with McMahon’s extreme anti-choice agenda,” staffers said in an email message Sunday evening.
But Jeffrey and Maureen Gagnon, owners of Coil Pro and McMahon supporters, said they would be voting for McMahon because of the knowledge she had and her general interest in how, as a business owner, she could help small business owners across the state.
Three years ago, McMahon came to Southington to meet the Gagnon’s at the request of State Sen. Joseph Markley. Jeffrey Gagnon said she arrived towards the end of the business day, but rather than simply visiting the company she took the time to really talk with them about their needs.
“Linda was eager to learn what we made, where we find qualified employees, what are our strengths and what are our needs,” Gagnon said. “Coil Pro is a small business and that’s exactly what she is fighting for.”
McMahon, who presented her plan in a six-step process included on her website, said she has done all she can to reach out to business owners and discuss the details, which include reducing tax burdens and unnecessary regulations to help stimulate growth.
Now, she said, is the time to focus on getting everyone to the polls and she said the bigger the turnout, the greater chance she believes she will have to succeed.
“Now is the time to focus on getting the vote out,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how we ran the campaign, it doesn’t matter who was better in the debates or even who the candidates are. All this work, all this effort; it will be all for naught if no one gets out to vote.”
