Start planning that Election Day getaway

In 2014, just as my UConn Huskies were getting ready for a second- round NCAA tournament game, I got on board a long- planned flight overseas that had no internet access. The whole time the game played out, I was 38,000 feet over the North Atlantic Ocean, on my way to scout out some German brownfields.

When the plane landed, after a few minutes figuring out the Wi- Fi, I loaded up the headline I was looking for — Huskies win. The game happened just as it would have under any circumstances, but I got to enjoy the aftermath and avoid the tension of watching it. UConn went on to win four more games and its fourth national championship.

The lesson there is something I need to keep in mind every Election Day. There’s nothing to be gained by watching vote tallies roll in for hours on election night. The results are what they are, and the only tension arises from who tells us which results in what order. If one candidate seems to come back from a big deficit, that’s purely by chance.

Much better would be to vote and then find a way to check out for a day or two. Go sleep in the woods without your phone. Or maybe board a flight to, say, Singapore. The results wouldn’t change, only the amount of angst as it plays out.

Something to keep in mind for 2024. As for this year, there are a few issues to parse, even in a state that went as overwhelmingly blue as Connecticut. No one was surprised to see the state give its electoral votes to Joe Biden — that much was clear the second polls closed. But there are trends worth noting, none of which look good for an already- reeling state Republican Party.

The path to victory for Connecticut Democrats has long been to run up the score in cities and then hold on as smaller towns voted Republican. But while the cities are still blue and small towns even redder, the suburbs, especially in the southwestern corner, are moving ever further into the Democratic camp.

Joe Biden beat Donald Trump by a bigger margin in Westport, 74- 24, than Norwalk, 68- 30. It was more lopsided for the Democrat in Fairfield, 65- 34, than in Waterbury, 60- 40. It’s not just the cities keeping Democrats afloat.

Some of that could be Trump specific, but those numbers translated down ballot, as well. And for anyone dismissive of Gold Coast voters, consider that Fairfield County is one of the only parts of the state showing recent population growth. Its importance in state electoral politics is only going to increase.

None of that means Republicans can’t win the 2022 governor’s race, since midterms typically work against the party in the White House. It’s not like anyone expects the economy to be in great shape by then.

Also worth watching is whether this year’s underwhelming crop of congressional challengers comes back for another try in what would presumably be a better climate in two years. Margaret Streicker spent more than $ 1 million of her own money to lose by double digits to Rosa DeLauro, which doesn’t sound great until it’s compared to the 30- point margin DeLauro won by in 2018. Maybe in ’ 22 that lead could be cut further, though getting over the top could be impossible.

Fifth District challenger David Sullivan has a good resume and could certainly give it another attempt, though next time maybe he could focus a little less time on convincing Connecticut that rioters were on their way to loot their hometowns. It seemed like an odd focus in a district that includes towns like Roxbury and Kent, and the district gave Rep. Jahana Hayes a convincing win. He, too, would face an uphill climb in 2022.

All told, it wasn’t a great result for people who want to see two viable parties in the state. What Democrats do with their huge new majorities in the Legislature will have to do for political drama at the moment.

Then it’s time to plan that Election Day 2024 getaway.