Christopher S. "Chris" Murphy (b. August 3, 1973, White Plains, New York) is an American politician, member of the Democratic Party. He is a former Connecticut State Senator, and the current United States Representative from Connecticut’s 5th District (map). Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 398 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (2848 × 4288 pixel, file size: 1. ... The United States House of Representatives (or simply the House) is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. ... Official language(s) English Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport Largest metro area Hartford Area  Ranked 48th  - Total 5,543[2] sq mi (14,356 km²)  - Width 70 miles (113 km)  - Length 110 miles (177 km)  - % water 12. ... The Fifth Congressional District of Connecticut is represented in Congress by Chris Murphy. ... For the ecclesiastical office, see Incumbent (ecclesiastical). ... is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Nancy Lee Johnson (born January 5, 1935, Chicago, Illinois) is an American politician. ... August 3 is the 215th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (216th in leap years), with 150 days remaining. ... Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ... White Plains (New York) White Plains is a city in south-central Westchester County, New York, about 4 miles (6 km) east of the Hudson River and 2. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... is the 215th day of the year (216th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ... White Plains (New York) White Plains is a city in south-central Westchester County, New York, about 4 miles (6 km) east of the Hudson River and 2. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ... Official language(s) English Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport Largest metro area Hartford Area  Ranked 48th  - Total 5,543[2] sq mi (14,356 km²)  - Width 70 miles (113 km)  - Length 110 miles (177 km)  - % water 12. ... The Connecticut State Senate is the upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly. ... The United States House of Representatives (or simply the House) is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. ... The Fifth Congressional District of Connecticut is represented in Congress by Chris Murphy. ...

Murphy has recently finished his second term from the 16th State Senatorial District that includes the towns of Waterbury, Southington, Wolcott and Cheshire. His successor in the State Senate is Republican Sam Caligiuri. Nickname: Location in Connecticut Coordinates: , NECTA Waterbury Region Central Naugatuck Valley Incorporated (town) 1686 Incorporated (city) 1853 Consolidated 1902 Government  - Type Mayor-board of aldermen  - Mayor Michael J. Jarjura Area  - City 74. ... Southington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. ... Wolcott is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. ... Cheshire is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. ... Samuel S.F. Sam Caligiuri (b. ...

Representative Murphy is a C-SPAN regular, often playing a large role in talking about the public opposition to the Iraq War along with his colleagues Paul Hodes and Jason Altmire. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ... Paul Hodes is an attorney from the state of New Hampshire who formerly served at the Shaheen & Gordon Law Firm. ... Jason Altmire (born March 7, 1968), is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives representing Pennsylvanias Fourth Congressional district. ...

Education

Murphy is a graduate of Wethersfield High School, Williams College, and the University of Connecticut School of Law. He is employed as an attorney with the firm of Ruben, Johnson, and Morgan in Hartford. He currently resides in Cheshire. Wethersfield High School is the only high school in Wethersfield, Connecticut, and has won many awards for excellence. ... Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. ... The University of Connecticut School of Law is a public law school located in Hartford, Connecticut and is the only public law school in Connecticut and among only two in New England. ... Nickname: Location in Hartford County, Connecticut Coordinates: , Country United States State Connecticut NECTA Hartford Region Capitol Region Named 1637 Incorporated (city) 1784 Consolidated 1896 Government  - Type Mayor-council  - Mayor Eddie Perez Area  - City  18. ... Cheshire is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. ...

Political career

Murphy began his political career as the campaign manager for Charlotte Koskoff’s near upset of Nancy Johnson in 1996. From 1997 to 1998 he worked for Connecticut State Senate Majority Leader George Jepsen. Nancy Lee Johnson (born January 5, 1935) is an American politician. ... The U.S. House election, 1996 was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 1996 which coincided with the re-election of Bill Clinton as President. ... Year 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ...

Murphy was first elected to office in 1998, at age 25; he unseated a 14-year incumbent to take a seat in the Connecticut House of Representatives. He served two terms there, representing the 81st House District in Southington. Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... The Hall of the Connecticut House of Representatives. ...

Murphy was elected to the State Senate at age 29, representing the 16th District, which encompasses Southington, Cheshire, Waterbury and Wolcott. Prior to Murphy's win, that seat had been held by a Republican for well over a decade. Murphy was appointed Senate chair of the legislature’s Public Health Committee, and also chaired the state task force looking into the re-importation of prescription drugs from Canada. In his term in office, Murphy worked on environmental protection issues and for juvenile justice reform.

In 2005, he authored and legislation establishing the new Office of Child Protection to better coordinate advocacy for abused and neglected children, legislation that passed.^{[citation needed]} Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Murphy is also the author and prime sponsor of Connecticut's historic stem cell research act, making Connecticut only the third state in the nation to provide public funding for stem cell research.

2006 campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives

Main article: United States House elections, 2006

Murphy left the State Senate (did not run for re-election) to seek the House seat held by Republican Nancy Johnson. Johnson won her 2004 election by a margin of 22%, garnering 60% of the vote to 38% for her Democratic opponent. (2% went to third-party candidates.) In 2002, Johnson faced what should have been a difficult challenge (running against a fellow incumbent in a redrawn district), but still she defeated her opponent, Congressman Jim Maloney, by a margin of nearly 10%. John Kerry won the district by about 1100 votes in 2004 and Al Gore won it when Johnson represented it as the 6th District in 2000.^{[citation needed]} President Bush meets with Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer (then House Minority Leader and Minority Whip, respectively) at the Oval Office in the White House. ... Nancy Lee Johnson (born January 5, 1935) is an American politician. ... Presidential election results map. ... Albert Arnold Gore, Jr. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ...

New York Times Endorsement

The New York Times endorsed Murphy saying

"Mr. Murphy, a lawyer, is impressive. He has spent eight years in the Connecticut House and Senate. He pushed for the state to adopt a system of campaign finance reform when he first entered the House, long before this was considered an important issue. He helped pass legislation that made it easier for the uninsured to obtain health insurance. He wants to work on the same issue in Congress. Mr. Murphy believes the war in Iraq has forced America into a false choice between war and civil liberties and has made us more vulnerable to terrorism. He advocates a timetable for withdrawal. Ms. Johnson has supported the war and has voted to continue the current open-ended commitment. We've supported Ms. Johnson in the past, but are disenchanted with her support of her leadership's radical agenda. Mr. Murphy would be a strong candidate in any race, and even against a seasoned incumbent, is impressive. He would make a superb addition to Congress. We strongly endorse his candidacy."

Johnson Wages "Nastiest Campaign in State History"

Johnson, Connecticut's longest serving representative in Congress with 12 terms in Washington, was battered by national discontent with the Republican Party and hurt by many self-inflicted wounds, including her campaign's decision to unleash a tide of negative ads against Murphy that turned her race into what many called one of the nastiest in state history.

Johnson's defeat is likely to be regarded as a repudiation of the negative ad strategy she employed against Murphy, operating out of a Republican playbook devised by national Republicans. Negative ads by Johnson portrayed Murphy, 33, as tax-happy and soft on terrorism. Her early ads were deemed effective by many observers, including ABC News, but late in the campaign she ran ads claiming Murphy coddled drug dealers and sex offenders. Newspapers such as the Hartford Courant believed these ads had a reverse effect, drawing more voters to Murphy. ABC News Special Report ident, circa 2006 ABC News is a division of American television and radio network ABC, owned by The Walt Disney Company. ... The Hartford Courant is Connecticuts largest daily newspaper, and the only morning newspaper for most of the state north of New Haven and east of Waterbury. ...

Controversy in the 2006 Campaign: Campaign ad against Johnson

One of Murphy's ads against Johnson says a mother contacted Johnson for help to get corrective surgery for her son's cleft lip and palate but was ignored by Johnson ^{[citation needed]}. But according to Factcheck.org, this is misleading, saying the mother contacted Murphy first, but never made any kind of contact with Johnson until 3 years later [1]. In an article titled "Johnson Attack On Ad Misfires: Murphy Commercial Is Rooted In Fact," the Hartford Courant defended Murphy's version of events.[2] Johnson demanded that the ad be pulled [3] while the Murphy Campaign insists the ad is true [4]. The Hartford Courant is Connecticuts largest daily newspaper, and the only morning newspaper for most of the state north of New Haven and east of Waterbury. ...

2006 Election Results

Murphy won the 2006 election, defeating Johnson by a wide margin of about 22,000 votes, 56% to 44%; the only House incumbent to suffer a worse defeat, percentage-wise, was John Hostettler (who lost to Democrat Brad Ellsworth in Indiana). Murphy was able to defeat Johnson handily in spite of the fact that her campaign spent about $5 million to his $2.5 million. John Nathan Hostettler (born June 19, 1961), American politician, is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives. ... Brad Ellsworth is the Democratic congressman from the 8th District of Indiana (map). ... Official language(s) English Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Area  Ranked 38th  - Total 36,418 sq mi (94,321 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 270 miles (435 km)  - % water 1. ...

The 5th District has 41 municipalities, including blue-collar cities New Britain, Torrington, Danbury, Meriden, and Waterbury (the largest city in the district), suburban commuter towns in the Farmington Valley, and rural towns in Litchfield County. Murphy won 35 of 41 towns in the district, including many that had voted reliably for Johnson in the past. For instance, in 2004, Johnson took the town of Simsbury by a wide margin, winning 8,798 votes to just 4,246 for her Democratic opponent. In 2006, Johnson received only 5,125 votes in Simsbury to 5.774 for Murphy. In other words, more than 3,500 Simsbury voters who supported Johnson in 2004 either changed their votes or stayed home in 2006.

Once-Republican towns such as Kent and Goshen in Litchfield County went for Murphy, and in large cities such as Danbury and Waterbury, Murphy swamped Johnson by large margins. In Johnson's hometown of New Britain, which she had represented since 1982 in Congress and for a number of years before that in the State Senate, Murphy beat Johnson by a 2-to-1 margin.

Only one impartial public poll was taken in the race, by the Hartford Courant. That poll showed Murphy's lead at 4 points. The size of the eventual margin surprised many local observers.

2008 campaign

Danbury Republican State Senator David Capiello has announced he will challenge Murphy in 2008. [5]

Congressional Career

As a member of Congress, Murphy said that reform of the lobbying system is a top priority[6]In the House of Representatives Murphy serves on the Oversight & Government Reform, and Financial Services committees. This article is about the political effort. ...

See also

• United States House elections, 2006

President Bush meets with Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer (then House Minority Leader and Minority Whip, respectively) at the Oval Office in the White House. ...

External links

• U.S. Representative Christopher Murphy official House site
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Federal Election Commission — Christopher Scott Murphy campaign finance reports and data
• On the Issues — Chris Murphy issue positions and quotes
• OpenSecrets.org — Chris Murphy campaign contributions
• Project Vote Smart — Representative Christopher S. 'Chris' Murphy (CT) profile
• SourceWatch Congresspedia — Chris Murphy profile
• Washington Post — Congress Votes Database: Chris Murphy voting record
• Chris Murphy for Congress official campaign site