Candidates: Governor and Lt. Governor
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont is looking to hold office for a third term but faces Ryan Fazio in the Nov. 3 General Election. Connecticut is one of a handful of states that does not place limits on the number of terms its Governor can serve.
CANDIDATES: Ned Lamont and Susan Bysiewicz
OFFICE: Governor and Lt. Governor (incumbents)
PARTY: Democrat
Lamont, a Democrat who first took office on Jan. 9, 2019, won reelection in 2022. According to the National Governor's Association, Lamont has been active in public service for most of his adult life. A graduate of Harvard College, Lamont worked as a reporter for a small weekly newspaper, The Black River Tribune, in Ludlow, Vermont, where he eventually became managing editor.
His career in public service began with stints on the Board of Selectmen in Greenwich and other local offices, and he eventually added teacher and entrepreneur roles to his resume. In 2006, he ran for U.S. Senate on a platform that wars in the Middle East were putting a strain on American families and that more attention needed to be given to the economy and healthcare.
Two decades later, Lamont stated that he still believes in affordable family life in Connecticut. Lamont is "rolling out the welcome mat for more families and more businesses to call Connecticut home."
Lamont has stated that as a business owner and job creator, he will continue to bring his business experience to work in Hartford, “with a focused commitment to affordability: lowering taxes, and expanding job opportunities, strengthening our schools, and helping families and businesses keep more of what they earn," he said.
Susan Bysiewicz is running for a third term as the 109th Lt. Governor. She is the first woman to serve in that office starting in January 2019. Bysiewicz presides over the State Senate while leading efforts in economic development, job creation, and women’s empowerment initiatives.
Bysiewicz has held the following state elected positions: 72nd Secretary of the State of Connecticut from 1999 to 2011. She was a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1993 to 1999.
On her campaign website, Bysiewicz stated she is dedicated to the wellbeing of local residents, especially advocating for women and girls. The former Secretary of State first took office in 1993 when she was elected to Connecticut's 100th District House of Representatives.
An attorney, Bysiewicz is a graduate of Yale University and received her Juris Doctorate in 1986 from Duke University. She wrote and published "Ella: A Biography of Governor Ella Grasso" in 1986.
CANDIDATES: Ryan Fazio and Matt Corey
OFFICE: Governor and Lt. Governor (challengers)
PARTY: Republican
Lamont’s challenger, Ryan Fazio, also has a history of serving his community. He stated he is a "proud Connecticut native" who spent time working in the fields of energy, agriculture, and shipping before entering public service. He graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in economics before returning to Greenwich in 2012.
A Republican, Fazio was elected to represent District 36 in the State Senate, taking office in August 2021. He serves on the Education Committee, Energy and Technology Committee, Finance, and Revenue and Bonding Committee, among others.
Like Lamont, Fazio's focus is working to make Connecticut a more affordable place for families to live and work. He has a plan to reduce state income-tax rates, he said, so that families will be able to keep more of what they earn. He also wants to reduce energy costs.
"Connecticut has the second highest electricity rates in the continental United States," he stated on his campaign website. He said his plan will reduce electricity bills by 20%, ending hidden taxes and removing the mandates that add to consumer costs.
Fazio also wants to end tax breaks for giant data centers, which he states is a perk Gov. Lamont allows. "Our priority should be lowering taxes and electric bills for taxpayers, not sticking them with the tab for massive corporations,” Fazio has said.
Republican Lt. Gov. candidate Matt Corey agrees. On his campaign website, the Hartford native said he sees the high cost of energy as "one of the biggest burdens on Connecticut families and job creators."
Corey is also focused on education and bringing skilled trades back into the forefront of Connecticut's youth. He stated he wants to help empower youth and rebuild the middle class, but it will take rebuilding the economy and creating a state where businesses are supported.
Voters will decide on Nov. 3, and early voting is set to begin on Oct. 19.
