NAUGATUCK, Conn. – Connecticut Senate candidate Linda McMahon distanced herself from her party’s presidential nominee Tuesday, saying she completely disagrees with Mitt Romney’s leaked statement that 47 percent of Americans are “dependent on government” and see themselves as “victims” who are “entitled to food, to housing, to you name it.”

“Well I couldn’t disagree with Governor Romney more on that,” McMahon told The Daily Caller in an interview.

“I don’t think people choose often to be in the position that they are in,” McMahon said, “and I think by the fact that our economy is where it is and we’re not able to have jobs … we have more folks that are in this position. I think government has failed them in that aspect.”

“We really need to make sure that our economy is on track and that we’re putting in the proper program for people to get jobs — the proper taxes, the proper regulation to stimulate our economy — and I just disagree with Governor Romney on that,” she added.

The video of Romney making the comments at a private reception for donors was first published by Mother Jones. (SEE ALSO: Democrats jump on Romney ’47 percent’ video)

McMahon is running neck-and-neck with Democratic Senate candidate Chris Murphy. Several recent polls show her ahead of Murphy in the heavily Democratic state.

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