Sen. Chris Murphy gives Candidates a pep talk at Cheshire Democratic Headquarters; urges Democrats to get out and vote on Nov. 5

CHESHIRE, CT--Sen. Chris Murphy made an appearance at Cheshire Democratic headquarters on Sunday and urged candidates, Democratic volunteers and all Democrats in town to have their family members and friends "plugged in" in an effort to get them to come out and vote.

Democratic headquarters was filled with a standing-room only crowd to hear what Murphy had to say, take some selfies and discuss politics one-on-one with the Senator.

Murphy has sold his home in Cheshire to move closer to family. But Murphy said Cheshire will always be a special place for him.

"It's great to be back home in Cheshire, a place that means an enormous amount to me and Cathy (his wife Cathy Holahan) and the boys," Murphy said. "Your success means so much to us. When we moved to Cheshire a decade ago it was a Republican town. When we registered as Democrats we knew we were in the minority. Today, we have more registered Democrats by a decent margin in a town that I don't think people would have imagined would be the case.
"I was in Orange today and I think of Orange as a very Republican town. Orange now has more registered Democrats than it has Republicans. This is a trend happening all across the state. We just have to make sure that the representation in town government reflects the registration here in Cheshire. So we have some work to do for (Town Council candidates) Patti Flynn-Harris, Peter Talbot, Jeff Falk and the whole team campaigning for Town Council, Board of Education and everyone else who has their name on the ballot."

Murphy went on to discuss the national scene and local government.  

"There has never been a clear connection between our success at the local level and the fights we are engaged in at the national level,"Murphy said. "I've been thinking about it in a little bit different way the last few days because I hate the fact that we are involved in an impeachment inquiry. Regarding the impeachment of the president of the United States, that's a horrible advertisement for our nation.
"But there is a covenant that you make with the people when you inherit the world's most powerful job. Nobody has more power than the president of the United States and there is one basic promise you have to make and that promise is that you do not use the massive powers entrusted to you for personal, financial or political gain. You use those powers on behalf of the people you represent. And when you violate that trust, when you breach that covenant, there has to be a consequence."


Murphy believes the connection with local government can be more impactful for residents and it is why he believes local elections are so important.

"So that's the process we are engaged in today," Murphy said. "It is interesting how the republican argument against impeachment has changed. They now can't deny what happened, it is now very clear that the president was trading the credibility of the United States to try to get help to destroy his political opponent. So in the last few days, instead of arguing that he didn't do it, now they're arguing that everybody does it. Their new take is that everybody is corrupt. This is how politics works. It's a body blow to our Democracy. Our Democracy is fragile now because of the assault the president has waged on it.
"That's why I've been thinking about this in the context of a local election. People, their thoughts on government, first and foremost often connect it with the people who represent them locally. They may be losing faith in the quality of national leadership. But frankly, very few people are going to be able to sit down and talk to a U.S. Senator. They are absolutely going to be able to sit down and have a conversation with their Council member, with a member of their Board of Education. If we elect more people and combine compassion and common sense, elect a slate of Democratic candidates who are talking about transparency at Town Hall, including more people in the conversation with what happens there, it's really about breathing more life in Democracy."

Murphy ended his speech by stressing the importance of getting Democrats to get out and vote.

"Years ago the strategy might have been a little different," Murphy said. "Now, with more registered Democrats in Cheshire than Republicans, it is more important than ever to really focus on getting Democrats to get out and vote. Many register as Democrats for the national elections, for voting for president. But it all starts with making an impact in local elections. Democrats need to get out and vote on Election Day (Nov. 5)."