Thomas MacMillan Photo
Voters carried U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro to victory Tuesday night by a three to one margin over her Republican challenger.
DeLauro celebrated that victory with a cheering room full of supporters at BAR on Crown Street Tuesday night. A screen in the corner showed the elections results: Democrat DeLauro — 114,841 votes. Republican Wayne Winsley — 34,929 votes.
Voters in the city of New Haven voted overwhelmingly for DeLauro, by a margin of about 32,000 to 2,400.
In the process, they sent the city native to Washington for a 12th time.
DeLauro arrived at BAR shortly after 9 p.m. and hugged her way to the front of the room, where a podium was set up for her.
She thanked her staff and family, including her 98-year-old mom Luisa, seated in a wheelchair not far away. She also thanked Republican challenger Winsley, who she said “ran a spirited campaign.”
The 2012 election has been about “two different worldviews” about “the kind of society we want to be,” DeLauro said. One worldview looks to strengthen the middle class. The other — Republicans’ — is committed to providing “breaks to the wealthy few.”
The Democratic vision is of a society where “we are all in this together,” she said.
DeLauro promised to “oppose any attempt to balance the budget on the backs of the most vulnerable.”
“We are going to recapture the soul of America,” she said.
In her next term, DeLauro said she will focus on jobs “first and foremost.” She said she’ll work on investment in education and training, and look at how to cut taxes for the middle class, she said.