While the big names in the national conservative movement were hobnobbing at CPAC with 2012 presidential hopefuls, local tea party activists were busy with a straw poll of their own.
Linda McMahon emerged as the winner of the Connecticut Tea Party Patriots 2012 Senate straw poll, held this afternoon in Hamden. The former WWE CEO narrowly outpolled broker and author Peter Schiff.
Out of 54 votes cast, McMahon received 15 and Schiff, 14. McMahon was the GOP's nominee in the 2010 Senate contest, but lost the election to Democrat Richard Blumenthal. Schiff had sought the party's nomination but lost to McMahon.
Former Congressman Rob Simmons and Tom Foley, the Republican gubernatorial nominee in 2010, each had 6 votes. Scott Franz netted 5 and Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton received 4.
Litchfield businessman and tea party favorite Mark Greenberg received 3 votes, but Greenberg has already announced his intention to run for Congress in the 5th District. Former Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele had the backing of 1 tea party member in the straw poll.
Not surprisingly, Jodi Rell, Joe Courtney, Chris Murphy and Susan Bysiewicz all received zero votes in the poll.