He was defeated for re-election in 1958, losing by fifteen percentage points to [[Democrat]] Thomas J. Dodd,<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=7721 CT US Senate]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved April 25, 2021.</ref> the father of future U.S. senator [[Christopher Dodd]]. During the campaign, Dodd asserted that Purtell's [[conservatism]] "makes <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Robert Taft]]] look like a left‐wing [[New Deal]]er.<ref name="WiMam Purtell 81; Served in the Senate From 1952 to 1959"/> | He was defeated for re-election in 1958, losing by fifteen percentage points to [[Democrat]] Thomas J. Dodd,<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=7721 CT US Senate]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved April 25, 2021.</ref> the father of future U.S. senator [[Christopher Dodd]]. During the campaign, Dodd asserted that Purtell's [[conservatism]] "makes <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Robert Taft]]] look like a left‐wing [[New Deal]]er.<ref name="WiMam Purtell 81; Served in the Senate From 1952 to 1959"/> |