Progressives hope to unseat establishment Democrats in CT primary on Tuesday
Gov. Ned Lamont and 14-term Rep. John Larson are facing strong challenges from younger progressives. Will it be enough for an upset in "The Land of Steady Habits?"
More Stories
Can Ned Lamont and John Larson buck a national trend?
Both are battling for their political futures against two younger progressives in Tuesday’s Democratic primary – as voters across the country are unseating establishment Democrats.
LAMONT VS. ELLIOTT
Connecticut is known as “The Land of Steady Habits.” The fiscally moderate Lamont is counting on Democrats sticking with him for a rare third term as governor.
“Keep telling the story about the progress we’ve made, and the best way to say what he’s going to do for the next four years, what he’s been able to accomplish for the last four,” Lamont said. “The next four is going be all about bringing down the high cost of health care, making sure our schools are the best in the country – not just for some of our students, but all of our students.”
But he faces the first primary challenge to a sitting governor in almost 50 years.
Fellow Democrat Josh Elliott, a progressive state lawmaker from Hamden, argues that Lamont is protecting the rich – and short-changing everyone else.
“Am I going to raise taxes? You know it,” Elliott told News 12 Connecticut. “On who? On people making a million dollars or more. And what that mean is, everybody else will get to see a tax reduction.”
Elliott also supports loosening Connecticut’s strict spending limits, known as “fiscal guardrails.” Those caps have led to record surpluses and helped pay down billions in pension debt, but have also made it increasingly difficult to find money for education and social programs. For the most part, Lamont has joined Republicans in pushing to keep the guardrails intact.
Lamont has racked up most key endorsements. Polls also show him with a double-digit lead, but one that is narrowing.
In recent weeks, the governor’s ads have turned personal – accusing Elliott of missing 240 votes in the General Assembly, including a Republican amendment to the 2020 police accountability law. Elliott acknowledged that he fell asleep when he briefly went home to let his dog out, but he did vote for the final legislation hours later.
Meantime, Elliott is portraying Lamont as an out-of-touch billionaire from Greenwich, one of the nation’s wealthiest communities.
“Here’s Ned worth nearly a billion dollars running the most unequal state in America, And shocker, he doesn’t think anything needs to change,” a recent Elliott ad said.
Elliott hired the Fight Agency, the same consultant that propelled Zohran Mamdani to the New York City mayor’s office. But unlike Mamdani, Elliott insists he is not a Democratic Socialist.
“I’m a Democrat; it’s that simple,” he said last July. “Are there things that Democratic Socialists believe in? Sure. Are there things that people who believe in a strong capitalist structure, that I believe in? Sure.”
Lamont argues that experience trumps youth – especially when it comes to countering the Trump White House.
“What’s [Elliott] ever done?” Lamont asked.
LARSON FIGHTS FOR SURVIVAL
In another major battle with national implications, 14-term congressman John Larson is fighting for his political future against three Democrats. Former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, 47, captured the official party endorsement in May, stunning political observers across the country.
“John Larson is a good man, but he’s been part of a broken system since the 90s,” Bronin says in a television ad.
Like Lamont, Larson also argues that experience matters more than age. The veteran congressman, who is 78, is a top member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee.
“This isn’t only about this race. This is about the future for the country,” Larson said at a Sunday rally in East Hartford. “But for the three opponents that I’m running against, I can put them to the side.”
Outside groups have poured more than $2 million into the race, according to federal election records.
HOW TO VOTE
Only registered Republicans and Democrats can vote in party primaries. If you’re already enrolled in a party and want to switch parties, it’s too late. There is a three-month waiting period.
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. 67,197 people have already voted as of Monday, according to the Connecticut Secretary of the State’s office.
For all information about elections in Connecticut, click HERE or call 860-509-6200.
