Jen Tooker Ends Gubernatorial Bid

Mathew Biadun | News Editor

Amidst an ever evolving race for the next governor of Connecticut, the fight for the Republican nomination is now one woman smaller. On September 24th Jen Tooker, the First Selectwoman of Westport, announced she was dropping out of the race for governor, but perhaps not out of the election yet.

Tooker announced her candidacy back in March, becoming the first to officially announce her bid for the governorship. Her campaign website had flexed her decades of experience in the local government of Westport, which had culminated in four terms as First Selectwoman, the town’s chief executive. In that position, she claimed to have worked to improve the town’s infrastructure and business climate, as well as focusing on affordability concerns. Tooker had blamed the state’s affordability crisis on Ned Lamont’s administration, citing the wage expansions of public employees and high utility rates. 

While being the first to run, she immediately faced high competition. Erin Stewart, the longtime Mayor of New Britain, was the apparent frontrunner before even announcing her candidacy. Once she had, Stewart swept forward, ahead in both polls and in finances. A poll commissioned by the Stewart team found Erin Stewart in a clear lead, with 43% of Republican respondents favoring her. In contrast, State Senator Ryan Fazio, another contender, garnered 13%. Jen Tooker got only three. 

Stewart’s campaign recently hit its goal of $350,000 raised. Tooker had only raised $81,252 since declaring her candidacy, with a quarter of that amount coming from her own funds. In comparison, Ryan Fazio hit $100,000 in just forty-four days, while the Stewart campaign recently hit its goal of $350,000.

Although her race for governor ended, Jen Tooker may still be on the ticket next November. “I still possess the heart and desire to serve the people of Connecticut,” she said. “I will be actively exploring other avenues in which my name can remain on the ballot in November of 2026.” 

Apart from governor, Connecticut possesses five other statewide offices: lieutenant governor, treasurer, comptroller, attorney general, and secretary of the state. Currently, three candidates have come out for those positions: Matt Corey for lieutenant governor, former representative Fred Wilms for treasurer, and Peter Lumaj for secretary of the state. 

The state’s next campaign filings will come out this month, revealing how much each candidate has officially raised.