Surrounded by somber supporters at the Italian Center, a country club located about five miles from his Stamford home, Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele conceded victory to Foley saying, "We fell short on our goal." But he said his campaign "put out a good message."
Fedele, with his family at his side, told his supporters they should be "very proud" and told them to "hold their heads high," noting a 35 point gap in the polls that he said dwindled in the remaining days of the election to about 5 or 4 points.
"That really speaks a lot," Fedele said.
Supporters said the Fedele campaign was on a roll in recent weeks and with a little more time, they believed he could have pulled out a victory since a string of political television ads appeared to help him gain some ground in last-minute polls.
Before Fedele was given the go-ahead to receive public money for his campaign, Fedele spokesman Chris Cooper said Foley had the airwaves to himself for eight months. But in the past three weeks, Cooper said the Fedele campaign was able to get its message out, broadcasting a television ad that blasted Foley's 1985 purchase and subsequent management of The Bibb Co., a Georgia textile manufacturing company. The plant went into bankruptcy a decade later and finally closed. Foley disputed the ad, saying it was staged.
Cooper said he thought the ad was effective and gave Fedele momentum in the final days of the election.
But it was not enough for a win today.
"This happened for a reason. It's not meant for Mike Fedele to move forward at this point," Fedele said.