After months of speculation, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced he would seek re-election in 2026 for a third term.
However, his path to victory could be rockier this time around. Lamont, 71, has been involved in politics within the state since the late ‘80s, starting with municipal positions in Greenwich, such as selectman and member of the town finance board. Lamont also served as Connecticut’s chairman of the State Investment Advisory Council (SIAC) for four years. He made a run for state senate in 1990 but lost to Emil Benvenuto.
In 2006, he made a run for the U.S. Senate as a challenger in the Democratic primary against Sen. Joe Lieberman. and beat him by nearly 10,000 votes.
However, Lieberman ran under the Connecticut For Lieberman Party in the general election and beat Lamont back to keep his seat by more than 10% of voters. Lamont then ran for governor for the first time in 2010 in the Democratic primary, but he lost to Dannel Malloy, who went on to become the state’s 88th governor. After two terms, Malloy retired in 2018. That’s when Lamont, despite his electoral history, ran again and finally triumphed in the Democratic primary by defeating Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim.
Lamont won the general election by a narrow 3% over Republican businessman Bob Stefanowski. Lamont was sworn in as the 89th governor of Connecticut on Jan. 9, 2019.
Known for being socially liberal and fiscally moderate. For example, he signed bills into law such as Connecticut’s biggest income tax cuts in state history, legalized marijuana, increased funding for childcare and an increase of the minimum wage in Connecticut. Lamont then won a second term in 2022 by a much wider margin in a rematch against Stefanowski.
In the U.S., 13 states besides Connecticut don’t have term limits for governors. Of the 14, currently only governors Greg Abbott of Texas and Phil Scott of Vermont are serving more than two terms. Abbott is running for a fourth term, and governors JB Pritzker and Tim Walz of Illinois and Minnesota intend to run for third terms. Most states have term limits that limit governors to two terms. Lamont’s announcement has raised questions about whether Connecticut should have term limits or not. In January, Connecticut State Rep. Christie Carpino, a Republican, introduced a resolution for a constitutional amendment that would limit governors to two terms. Others viewed the situation differently.
Jordan Mancuso-Cermola, a sophomore political science major, said that while Lamont deserves a third term and he hopes he succeeds, he does believe in tightening restrictions on qualifications to run and serve as governor.
“I would like to see a little more structure in the sense of regulations on being able to run but in this circumstance I think that Lamont has deserved a third term,” Mancuso-Cermola said.
Ava Suto, a freshmen political science major said, “I don’t think they should be as strict as the presidential ones, and I think it should be maybe three or four terms instead of two.”
While his path to victory may not be as difficult as it was in 2018, Lamont faces some hurdles. For example, he is receiving a primary challenge from the left in state representative Josh Elliott who represents the 88th district. Elliott, who is 30 years younger than Lamont, is running on more progressive ideas such as raising taxes on the wealthiest residents of Connecticut, instituting ranked choice voting in the state’s elections, expanding affordable housing, and expanding the Child Tax Credit, among other promises.
Lamont also has received criticisms for some of his decisions, such as vetoing a bill that would’ve built more housing throughout the state. If Lamont succeeds in the primary, he will face either state Sen. Ryan Fazio or outgoing mayor of New Britain Erin Stewart, both of whom are Republicans. Lamont acknowledged he needs to do more for the state for him to win a third term in his campaign announcement video post.
“Connecticut is moving forward, but too many families are impacted by rising costs. We’ve worked to lower the cost of childcare, energy and healthcare but we’ve got to keep fighting for a more affordable future and building an economy that works for everyone,” he said. If Lamont is successful, he will become the first governor to successfully win a third term since John Rowland, who was convicted – twice – of multiple federal crimes, resigned as governor in 2004 and served two stints in prison.
Pres. Trump pardoned Rowland in May.
