In a show of unity following a bruising primary battle, Tom Foley, the Republican gubernatorial nominee, allowed his opponent, Sen. John McKinney, to dump a bucket of ice water on his head at his campaign office in Trumbull.
Foley beat McKinney Tuesday night by 12 percentage points, but the two united Wednesday morning to show there were no hard feelings.
Following a press conference, McKinney challenged Foley to take the ALS ice bucket challenge. He explained to Foley that you nominate three other individuals to take the challenge before pouring the bucket of ice over your head. The challenge, which raises awareness and money for for ALS, has taken social media by storm.
“I’m going to take the bucket and I’m going to contribute $100,” Foley said.
The two walked outside Foley headquarters in Trumbull and Foley tried to think of who he should challenge besides Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.
He chose the head of the Democratic Party Nancy DiNardo and Democratic strategist Roy Occhiogrosso, who is working on Malloy’s campaign.
“Nice,” McKinney said when he heard Foley say Occhiogrosso.
“Not until he learns how to pronounce my name,” Occhiogrosso responded on Twitter.
Asked if he was taking just a little bit of pleasure in dumping a bucket of ice on the head of the guy who just beat him in the primary, McKinney said “no.”
But when it came time to dump the ice on Foley’s head, McKinney’s conscience may have gotten the best of him.
“Oh, my God, I can’t believe I’m doing this. My mother wouldn’t be happy,” McKinney said before dumping the bucket of ice over Foley’s head.
McKinney asked the news media not to forget that they had also challenged Malloy.
Malloy’s campaign tweeted that the governor will take the challenge Saturday after the MADD dash in Stratford.
Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman will be pouring the ice water over Malloy’s head.
McKinney was challenged by his daughter and got ice water tossed on his head Tuesday night. Once challenged a person has 24 hours to complete the challenge.
