Linda McMahon has finally tapped out.
The former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO and wife of Vince McMahon was defeated on Tuesday in her second bid for Congress in Connecticut by Democrat Chris Murphy
"I think that not every CEO is qualified to be a United States senator," Murphy said, according to the Associated Press.
McMahon has spent over $100 million dollars of her own money over two campaigns for U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She also ran for office in 2010.
McMahon was the CEO of the WWE from 1997 through 2009 and ran on her strength as a businesswoman and promises of lower taxes. The campaign featured numerous attack ads from both sides, including personal attacks and criticism of violence in wrestling.
"You have been there and I love each and every one of you," McMahon said in her concession speech, according to TheBridgeportNews.com. "From the bottom of my heart I thank all of you. So there is no way I can individually thank everyone, from the folks on this stage to family, friends, and relatives. I have had great supporters all through the campaign. I would really rather have won, but we gave it an incredibly good fight."
According to TheBridgeportNews.com
"Two years after losing to U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, McMahon, a Greenwich resident, was defeated Tuesday night by U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy (D-5th District). Many polls had shown a tight race going into Election Day, but ultimately it was a blowout for Murphy, a three-term congressman, who, as of Wednesday morning, had a margin of victory of 55.3% to 43% with 88.4% of Connecticut precincts reporting. This could well end up giving Mr. Murphy a larger margin of victory than Blumenthal had against Ms. McMahon two years ago."
McMahon had been accused of trying to buy her election in 2010 by former Congressman Rob Simmons and was attacked by her opponent as someone who was unqualified for office.
She easily beat opponent Chris Shays in the Republican primary election, spending $15.7 million of her personal money, but couldn't get close enough to win the Senate seat against Murphy.
Many other sports-related politicians were defeated on Tuesday as well, including
Connie Mack IV, the great-grandson of Hall of Fame manager Connie Mack.
Mack ran against Democrat Bill Nelson for a Senate seat in Florida, but was defeated, giving Nelson a third term.
According to the Associated Press: "Mack has made much of his baseball lineage. On his Web page, the "O" in his first name is replaced with a baseball. His great-grandfather managed the Philadelphia Athletics for 50 years, starting in 1901, and with his suit and straw hat was always an impeccable presence in the dugout."
Mack had tough odds against Nelson and had a hard time recovering from a range of television ads that focused on his bar-fighting past and a fight with Atlanta Braves outfielder Ron Gant.
Ex-NFL player Jon Runyan was able to hang onto his Congressional seat in New Jersey, while Tom Rooney, the nephew of Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, was re-elected into the U.S. House for Florida.
It's unclear if McMahon will run for a third term, but her loss added an exclamation point to an already tough night for sports-related politicians.
