Democratic U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty has held off a challenge from Republican Mark Greenberg to claim a second term representing northwestern Connecticut in Congress.
Connecticut's Fifth District spans the Litchfield Hills, as well as cities including New Britain. It's one of the Connecticut districts most evenly divided among Republicans and Democrats.
Esty is a Cheshire resident who was first elected in 2012. During this year's campaign, she touted her efforts to create jobs and fight gun violence in the wake of the Newtown school shooting rampage inside her district.
Esty admitted on Tuesday night that it was a grueling campaign. "Particularly when you look at the situation across the country, this is not an easy year," she said. "I have to tell you, we started deeply in the hole in this race, in ways you will probably never really know, but you made it possible. You made that difference possible. It was a tough environment. It was a tough year, but you engaged."
Greenberg is a Litchfield real estate developer who was making his third consecutive run at the seat. He criticized Congress for not doing enough to reduce the national debt and for being more concerned about re-election than about helping struggling families.
"As you probably know, I'm not going to be doing this again," Greenberg said in his concession speech. "I'm going to enjoy my family, and my children. I've always said that this was a win-win situation for me. If I won, I'd do a great job in Washington. If I lost, I'd have my family."
The race was often contentious.
This report includes information from The Associated Press. WSHU Public Radio contributed.
