U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy has won the Democratic nomination for Connecticut's open U.S. Senate seat.

The three-term congressman and former state legislator beat back a challenge from former Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz (BY'-suh-wits) in Tuesday's primary.

Murphy made the argument that he has political and financial support to battle wealthy former wrestling executive Linda McMahon, the endorsed Republican candidate, in the November election.

Bysiewicz served as secretary of the state from 1999 to 2007. She was briefly a candidate for governor 2010, but dropped out to run for attorney general. Later, the state Supreme Court ruled she did not have the required legal experience to run for the job.

The seat is being vacated by retiring Sen. Joe Lieberman, an independent.