New Haven Independent

“This is the highest turnout ever!” reckoned Ward 10 Democratic Committee co-chair Sabrina Bruno. For a primary at least. Bruno and local Dems sat in tents in the Cross parking lot, eating watermelon, pulled pork and “GOP macaroni” — mac and cheese donated by Bruno’s mother, who’s a Republican. Enthused by the turnout, the tent-sitters had one “star” of the day: Mark Abraham, who drove straight from St. Raphael’s Hospital to cast his vote at Cross. Emerging from the hospital after a five-day stay, he made a bee-line for the election booth: “It was a good place to take a few steps — to the polls.”

One of the so-called “dirty dozen” who ditched Joe at the State Convention back in May, Bruno was rooting for Sen. Joe Lieberman’s anti-war challenger Ned Lamont. Among a sign-toting greeters on the street outside the school, a pro-Lamont blogger squatted in the grass with a laptop, hopping on local wireless Internet to send a live blog of morning results. There were Vote Joe signs, but no visible supporters in sight during two separate visits. “Lamont is kicking butt over here!” beamed Bruno.

Like the committee’s two tents — one plastered with DeStefano placards, the other with Lamont stickers — many voters said they were choosing a Ned-John combo, voting for both party underdogs who led the polls going into the election.