Lamont: In or Out? Who's Running For Governor?

Mathew Biadun | News Editor

Earlier this month, famed election predictor ‘Sabato’s Crystal Ball’ released its official prediction for the upcoming gubernatorial elections. With one catch, Connecticut was ranked a ‘Safe Democratic State’. The catch? Whether or not Governor Ned Lamont will run for a third term.

That question currently underlines the evolving and burgeoning contest for Connecticut’s next governor. Although still a year away, the upcoming gubernatorial election has gained increasing publicity as candidates announce their bids for the office. Thus far, Gov. Lamont has been sidestepping the question. 

The Governor initially said he would think about the question after the legislative session ended. However, come the session’s close, he only said he was ‘more inclined’ to run again, leaving the question no more answered than before. No matter his inclinations, no committee had been made nor paperwork filed, and so his supporters and detractors alike continue to wonder about his future. 

Proponents of a third term would point to his rather high personal popularity. His approval rating of 63% ranks sixth amongst US governors, a respectable number seven years into his governorship. Amongst his party’s moderate base he remains popular, already having been endorsed by the moderate caucus of the state house, the so-called ‘Blue Dog Democrats’, before even announcing a re-election bid. Those who worry about Democrats losing the election point to his safety and proven electability as a trait too precious to throw away.

Not all agree, however. Progressives within the Democratic Party have become increasingly rebellious to the Governor. In particular, two vetoes during the legislative session drew particular ire. His veto of SB8, a bill that would give striking workers unemployment benefits, and HB5002, a large housing bill that would put several state mandates onto local zoning, angered many within his own party. 

In the weeks following the veto, several state legislators came out against the governor. Rep. Roland Lemar of New Haven labelled him the ‘Governor of Greenwich and Associated Lands’, essentially accusing him of only representing the wealthy suburbs. Sen. Saud Anwar of South Windsor went as far as to pen an op-ed calling him to step down. But none went as far as Rep. Josh Elliot of Hamden, who officially announced a primary challenge against Lamont in July. 

Elliot accuses Lamont of having essentially abandoned the left-wing of the party. He cites Lamont’s opposition to taxing millionaires, his vetoes of SB8 and HB5002, and his refusal to loosen Connecticut’s ‘fiscal guardrails’ in order to increase state investment. The two have already sparred on the issue of highway tolls, which Elliot supports and Lamont opposes.

Although Elliot is the only one so far to openly challenge the governor, many other Democrats lie waiting in the wings. Other prominent Democrats such as Comptroller Sean Scanlon, Attorney General William Tong, and Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz have all been suspected of wanting the job. Former mayor of Hartford Luke Bronin, another politician rumored to want the position, has since switched to challenging John Larson in a primary for the first district.

Age may play a part in the debate as well. At seventy-one years old, Lamont is already amongst the oldest governors in Connecticut history. Should he run again, he would become the oldest in the state’s history, beating Matthew Griswold, who had served from 1784-1786 until the age of seventy-two. 

Also lingering in the discussion is the bad history of third terms. The only governor to pursue a third term since four-year terms were adopted is John Rowland, whose term ended in resignation following a corruption scandal.

Whoever ends up as the Democratic nominee, a Republican challenger will certainly be there to oppose them. Several Republicans have tossed their hats in the ring so far.

The longtime contestant for the governorship was Erin Stewart, the Mayor of New Britain. She had first been elected as mayor in 2015 at the age of 26, and has been re-elected since. Stewart is now completing her sixth and final term, confirming that she would not run for a seventh. While Stewart is technically still only ‘exploring’ a candidacy, most agree this is just legality, and that her candidacy is assured.

Supporters of Stewart cite her repeated victories in blue, urban New Britain as a sign that she could make inroads into traditionally Democratic areas. However, some worry that, should a primary occur, she may not be ‘MAGA’ enough to win the nomination. A similar fate occurred to Themis Klarides, a state legislator running for Senate in 2022, only to lose a primary to Trump-endorsed Leora Levy. 

Another legislator now running for governor is Ryan Fazio, a state senator from Greenwich. Fazio, age 35, only entered the state senate during a special election in 2021. He has since made a name for himself attacking Connecticut’s high energy costs. Fazio is popular in the legislature, having been endorsed by the minority leaders of both chambers. 

The final major contestant for the legislature is Jen Tooker, the four-term First Selectwoman of Westport. Tooker points to her repeated victories in Westport, a town which Kamala Harris won by more than 70%, as a sign of her electability. She’s pointed out her ability to implement affordable housing in Westport through local initiatives as proof that she can solve the state’s affordability crises without more state mandates.

With the election more than a year away, it remains unclear who will be either party’s nominee on election day. Whoever wins the nomination faces a statewide affordability crisis, increasing pressure to loosen the state’s fiscal guardrails, and an election coinciding with midterms sure to serve as a bellwether on President Trump’s administration.