Historically blue Connecticut’s opportunity to confirm the nation’s first openly gay Supreme Court chief justice is on the thinnest of lines this week, having just passed the state House of Representatives by a 75-74 vote.
Signs that Democrats and Republicans have drawn battle lines reminiscent of national partisan conflicts began with a hearing of the state’s Judiciary Committee Feb. 26, when members questioned McDonald for more than 12 hours before Republicans unanimously opposed his nomination and effected a tie vote, 20-20, triggering a surprise “unfavorable” recommendation to the full Legislature.
