Latest news with #ErinStewart
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Erin Stewart takes early fundraising lead in GOP battle for CT governor
With only nine months left before a nominating convention, Connecticut Republicans are gearing up for a political battle to face Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont. New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart has gained an early advantage by raising more than $300,000 in small contributions on her way toward qualifying for public financing against Lamont, a wealthy Greenwich entrepreneur who has spent millions to self-fund his statewide campaigns. Stewart has been campaigning for months in the race against state Sen. Ryan Fazio, a fiscal conservative who recently formed an exploratory committee and whose supporters say will catch up in the fundraising battle. Without explicitly saying that both Lamont and Fazio live in wealthy Greenwich, Stewart says her campaign contributors are trying to make ends meet in hardscrabble towns across the state. 'People are investing because they're looking for a leader that fundamentally understands their concerns and worries — someone who, like them, understands the financial difficulties of raising a family in Connecticut, someone who comes from a community like theirs,' Stewart said. State Republican Chairman Ben Proto is remaining neutral in the race that also includes Westport First Selectman Jennifer Tooker and perennial candidate Peter Lumaj of Fairfield, who ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2012, secretary of the state in 2014, and governor in 2018. Proto said he is not even thinking about a primary in August 2026 and instead says the next step is for the candidates to make their case to the 1,200 delegates leading up to the state convention next May. 'It's a long way between now and May,' Proto said Tuesday. 'Erin, with her announcement, if she's not there, she will have reached qualifying dollar amounts for [public financing], I suspect some time in September. So, I think that gives her a huge advantage over everybody else. There's a lot of money that has to be raised by Ryan, Jen Tooker, and anyone else who gets in the race. I think that gives Erin a leg up on the money side.' But Fazio and his supporters say he has a solid base of support across the state and has the ability to raise money to catch up to Stewart. Fazio notes that he won an expensive and difficult race for state Senate in 2024 by about 2,000 votes in a fast-changing district where Democrat Kamala Harris defeated Republican Donald J. Trump by 17 percentage points. Fazio has won three straight elections after losing in 2020 to Democrat Alex Kasser. 'It's been better across the state than I could have expected or asked,' Fazio said of his recent support. 'It's time for a change. It's time for common sense, and it's time for balance in the state government. … I feel a great deal of confidence in our ability to win the convention, win the primary, and win the general election.' Fazio's name recognition has increased statewide as one of the primary voices against rising electric prices and the successful decision by the state legislature to move some of the 'public benefits' charges off the bills of electric ratepayers, a key issue for Republicans. Former state Democratic Chairman John F. Droney said that Republicans are battling among themselves but will not defeat a well-funded, two-term Democratic governor who has had high poll ratings since leading the state during the coronavirus pandemic. 'I think Stewart wins the primary hands down if there is one,' Droney told The Courant in an interview. 'I think she's the most formidable candidate the Republicans have for governor, but she can't beat Lamont.' As a strong supporter of then-U.S. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, Droney worked hard against Lamont in 2006 during the Democratic and the general election. But he has now come around to be a solid supporter of Lamont. 'I think he's been a damn good governor,' Droney said. 'I voted for him, and I intend to vote for him again. I'm proud that he is our governor of Connecticut.' Lamont, Droney said, does not face much of a challenge from state Rep. Josh Elliott of Hamden, a liberal Democrat who is running against Lamont from the left in a race that Droney calls 'a waste of time' for Democrats. 'The guy can't win,' Droney said of Elliott. 'He'd be better off running for mayor of New York City. … The Democratic party in Connecticut is not a socialist party. It's a party that leans left, like most Democrats do now, but people who are firebrands and AOC types are not going anywhere in Connecticut.' He was referring to U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, a nationally known liberal who represents portions of the Bronx and Queens in New York City. The Democratic party, he said, has shifted left in Connecticut. 'I was there in the Bill O'Neill days,' Droney said, referring to the former governor from the 1980s. 'I was a John Kennedy Democrat. I was a Scoop Jackson Democrat. I was a Bill O'Neill Democrat. That's when we were the party of the working man and the party of rational behavior. And we were very successful in Connecticut at every level. That party doesn't exist anymore nationally. It's a bunch of left-wing psychos from the various universities and a bunch of socialists and people who are troublemakers, and they're going nowhere. They couldn't make the sale at the national level, and they're not going to make the sale in Connecticut.' On the Republican side, Fazio's supporters believe that he can defeat Stewart in a primary. He is expected to raise money for public financing, but he could also benefit from third-party political action committees that are not officially connected to his campaign but can be funded by wealthy Greenwich and New Canaan residents who have supported him in previous campaigns. Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
In growing field for CT governor, a mayor plans civility. Tagline: ‘New generation of leadership'
It was all smiles for Gov. Ned Lamont and New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart. The two political rivals could end up facing each other in the race for governor next year but they came together this week to hail the opening of a new affordable housing project in Stewart's hometown. The leaders had nothing bad to say about each other or a new, 154-unit complex that has been resurrected from a long-closed factory on Ellis Street off the exit on Route 9. Families earning anywhere from $30,000 to $80,000 per year are eligible for the rental units, and they are 100% leased, officials said. At least one unit remained unoccupied so that top officials could see it. Housing has been a touchy subject recently. Lamont has been repeatedly blasted by liberal Democrats for vetoing an affordable housing bill after an outcry from Republicans that the controversial bill took away too much local control from town boards around the state. Despite political differences on other issues, Stewart backed up Lamont. 'It was the right move to veto the housing bill,' Stewart told The Courant. 'Local control is very important, and local control is also what leads to developments like this' in New Britain. Lamont, a lifelong Democrat, agreed that he has gotten along quite well with Stewart during his tenure as governor. 'We've been friends for years,' Lamont said when asked by The Courant. 'Often we clip the ribbons at these housing [ceremonies]. We've done hundreds of units together here, and sometimes we have lunch afterwards. … We work together well. Look, we've worked very constructively for a long time. Keep that going.' A six-term mayor, Stewart was the first high-profile Republican to explore a run for governor in the 2026 cycle She was first elected at age 26, becoming the youngest mayor in New Britain history, taking office when her father left office after eight years as mayor. Her supporters have touted her for higher office because Republicans are outnumbered 4 – 1 in New Britain, which has a history of crossover support for Republicans. Stewart has technically filed paperwork for an exploratory run for statewide office, but it is widely believed that she is running for governor. In a late development, state Rep. Josh Elliott of Hamden filed paperwork Tuesday to run for governor as liberal Democrats have been upset that Lamont vetoed the affordable housing bill and another pro-labor measure that would have awarded unemployment compensation benefits to workers who had been on strike for more than 14 days. Underneath a tent on a hot day before they helped cut a ceremonial ribbon to open the affordable housing complex, Stewart and Lamont embraced and laughed as they chatted before the speeches began. 'I'm a firm believer that you don't have to be an enemy of someone to run against them and to show there's a different way,' Stewart said in an interview. 'I think that's probably what politics is missing nowadays. Everybody wants that factor where they're waiting for me to come out and say something that is so far beyond the pale about Ned personally. That's not my style. Nor would I expect a candidate to do that to me.' Stewart added, 'The tagline I've got is a new generation of leadership. I think we're a little stale. That's not an insult to Ned. It's just that we have different management and different leadership styles, and we come from very different worlds. Just me standing next to him, we can show that you can get along and you can disagree respectfully, and you can agree on some things, and that's OK. Just because you're running against someone doesn't mean that you have to be all gung ho and curse the world and their existence.' Stewart, however, said there will be times of disagreement in the future. 'Don't get me wrong.' Stewart said. 'I am from New Britain, so I will take digs when I need to.' Stewart could end up in a primary in August 2026 against Sen. Ryan Fazio, a Greenwich Republican who also represents parts of Stamford and New Canaan. Fazio won a hard-fought race in the 2024 cycle against Democrat Nick Simmons, a well-funded former Greenwich resident who moved to Stamford. Fazio reenergized Republicans statewide by winning his seat in a special election in 2021 after former Sen. L. Scott Frantz had lost the district in 2018 to Democrat Alex Bergstein, who changed her name to Alex Kasser after winning the seat. Fazio then won a squeaker against Harvard graduate Trevor Crow in 2022 by a margin of only 89 votes after recounts in all three towns in the district. Fazio's supporters believe he can defeat Stewart in a primary, adding that the pair could be a strong ticket if Stewart ran for lieutenant governor as she did in 2018 after dropping out of the governor's race. She was defeated in a three-way race by state Sen. Joe Markley, a conservative Republican who later ran on the ticket with Madison business executive Bob Stefanowski in a losing effort against Lamont. As a fellow Greenwich resident, Lamont has worked together with Fazio on various issues, including the much-debated Senate Bill 4 that aimed to reduce the cost of electricity for consumers across the state. 'Look, he's a good guy,' Lamont told reporters recently of Fazio. 'I've gotten to know him along the way down there in Greenwich. He can do what he wants to do. I like working with him. … I worked with him on the energy bill, for example. It's the political season. This will keep coming up.' When asked by a television reporter if he would rather run against Fazio or Stewart, Lamont said, 'That's probably not a great issue for me to get into. Look, I think I saw Ryan is going to run as a fiscal conservative. He doesn't want to raise taxes. Keep the balanced budget. I think we've done a pretty good job of that over the last six years.' Another potential Republican opponent, Westport First Selectwoman Jen Tooker, hailed Lamont's veto of the housing bill as 'a victory.' In the short term, Lamont could be facing competition within his own party as Elliott, a deputy House Speaker, has filed paperwork to jump into the race. Elliott has said he would run in the same way that he challenged then-sitting House Speaker Brendan Sharkey in a 2016 primary before Sharkey abruptly retired. Elliott's formal announcement will be next Monday at 1 p.m. in front of town hall in his hometown of Hamden. State Rep. Nick Gauthier, a freshman from Waterford, wrote in a lengthy op-ed in The Courant on Monday that Lamont should not seek a third term. He follows Sen. Saud Anwar of South Windsor, who penned a similar op-ed last month. Gauthier said he first voted for Lamont at the age of 19 in August 2006 when Lamont defeated U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman in an upset before losing in the general election. Today, he says Lamont should step aside due to his vetoes of the housing bill and another controversial bill that would have awarded unemployment benefits to striking workers after 14 days off the job. 'As the governor of our state and the de facto head of our Connecticut Democratic Party, Lamont has a responsibility to stand with our workers and our working families both in deed and in law,' he said. 'Instead, Lamont chose to veto pro-worker legislation put on his desk by a consensus of over 85% of his own Democratic party lawmakers.' Looking ahead to the 2026 race, Stewart said that Connecticut does not have to be the same as politics at the national level. 'When we look at politics nationally now, and because of the way that things have been with Biden, Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Kamala Harris, we look for those nasty digs,' Stewart said. 'That was created by the higher-ups in both parties — Republican and Democrat. We look for those nasty digs. We look for the tweets. We look for the memes. We look for that stuff. I'm certainly not a boring candidate, not by any means, but I was also raised to be respectful, too. I would never want to disappoint my parents or my grandparents in embarrassing them like that.' Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democratic state representative for Hamden launches bid for Connecticut governor
HAMDEN, Conn. (WTNH) — Josh Elliott, a Democratic state representative for the 88th District of Hamden, has filed paperwork to run for the governor of Connecticut. Gov. Ned Lamont, a two-term incumbent who has drawn on vast personal wealth to power his campaigns, has not yet declared his intentions for next year's election. Earlier last month, the governor said he's grown more inclined to seek a third term. Republican State Sen. Ryan Fazio told News 8 last month he is 'strongly considering' entering the race for governor. Erin Stewart, the Republican mayor of New Britain, is actively exploring a campaign for governor. Westport First Selectwoman Jen Tooker, a declared candidate for governor, is another Republican who has found electoral success in a suburb that has rejected Republican candidates further up the ballot. Fairfield attorney Peter Lumaj has formed an exploratory campaign for a statewide office, but unlike Stewart, he has not indicated which office he is eyeing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
30,000 attend ‘Little Poland Festival' in New Britain
NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (WTNH) — Polish music and food filled the streets of New Britain as the community gathered to celebrate the twelfth annual 'Little Poland Festival' Sunday afternoon. The all-day-event was hosted by the Polonia Business Association, a local non-profit that aims to promote New Britain's Polish neighborhood. 'Little Poland continues to grow and the strong business community is a crucial piece of that expansion,' Mayor of New Britain Erin Stewart said. 'There are over 100 businesses in Little Poland that continue to be successful in part due to the close-knit community that works tirelessly to build connections both here and abroad.' Runners take to Standish Park for Wethersfield Community Run The festival is one of the largest cultural celebrations in New England, attracting the company of over 30,000 people with 120 vendor booths, live entertainment and activities. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Westport First Selectwoman Jen Tooker announces bid for governor
WESTPORT, Conn. (WTNH) — On Monday, Jen Tooker became the first official candidate to announce a run for the Connecticut governor's seat. In her announcement, the current Westport first selectwoman said she's a champion for fiscal responsibility, economic growth, and government accountability. New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart officially announces she is exploring a run for governor 'For too long, Connecticut families and businesses have been burdened by high taxes, rising costs, and a state government that lacks accountability,' Tooker said in a statement. 'I'm running for governor to restore fiscal discipline, create an economy where businesses and workers thrive, and make Connecticut a place where families can afford to stay, work, and retire,' she continued. If elected governor, Tooker wants to 'rein in' state employee costs, lower energy costs, make Connecticut a better place to retire, and transform the state's cities into tech hubs. Tooker has also served on the Board of Finance and the Board of Education. She has three children with her husband Mo, according to campaign officials. Three other Republicans have said they're exploring their own campaigns for governor, including Matt Corey, Erin Stewart and Peter Lumaj. The 2026 Connecticut gubernatorial election is scheduled for Nov. 3. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
