2026 Connecticut gubernatorial election

For related races, see 2026 United States gubernatorial elections.

2026 Connecticut gubernatorial election

←  2022 November 3, 2026 2030 →

Nominee TBD Ryan Fazio Party Democratic Republican Running mate Susan Bysiewicz Matthew Corey

Incumbent Governor Ned Lamont Democratic

The 2026 Connecticut gubernatorial election will take place on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of Connecticut. Primary elections will take place on August 11, 2026. ^[1]

Incumbent Democratic governor Ned Lamont is running for a third term. Lamont is one of the most popular governors in the United States, with a 63% approval rating as of October 2025, according to Morning Consult; ^[2] however, a University of New Hampshire poll from May 2025 found that 44% of Connecticut voters believe he should not run for a third term. ^[3] State representative Josh Elliott is challenging Lamont in the primary as a progressive. ^[4]

Democratic primary

While incumbent governor Ned Lamont initially had expressed doubts about running for a third term, ^[5] he announced that he would run for re-election in November 2025. ^[6] State Representative Josh Elliott had already launched a bid to primary Lamont, believing that Connecticut needs a more progressive leader. ^[7]

At the Democratic State Convention on May 16, 2026, at The Bushnell in Hartford, Lamont defeated Elliott for the state party endorsement 1,468 (74.6%) to 501 (25.4%). However, Elliott surpassed the 15% of delegates needed to get on the ballot for the primary, which is set to take place on August 11. ^[8] Lamont is the first incumbent governor to face a primary since Ella Grasso in 1978.

Governor

Candidates

Declared

• Josh Elliott, state representative from HD-88 (2017–present) ^[9]
• Ned Lamont, incumbent governor (2019–present) ^[10]

Declined

• Luke Bronin, former mayor of Hartford (2016–2024) (running for U.S. House) ^[11]
• Susan Bysiewicz, incumbent lieutenant governor (2019–present) (running for re-election) ^[12]
• William Tong, incumbent attorney general (2019–present) ( running for re-election ) ^[13]
• Sean Scanlon, incumbent comptroller (2023–present) (running for re-election) ^[14]

Endorsements

Ned Lamont

U.S. senators

• Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut (2011–present) ^[15]
• Chris Murphy, Connecticut (2013–present) ^[15]

U.S. representatives

• Joe Courtney, CT-02 (2007–present) ^[16]
• Rosa DeLauro, CT-03 (1991–present) ^[16]
• Jahana Hayes, CT-05 (2019–present) ^[16]
• Jim Himes, CT-04 (2009–present) ^[16]
• John Larson, CT-01 (1999–present) ^[16]

Statewide officials

• Erick Russell, treasurer of Connecticut (2023–present) ^[17]
• Sean Scanlon, Connecticut comptroller (2023–present) ^[17]
• William Tong, attorney general of Connecticut (2019–present) ^[17]

State legislators

• 22 state senators ^[18]
• 71 state representatives ^[18]

Local officials

• Arunan Arulampalam, mayor of Hartford (2024–present) ^[18]
• Justin Elicker, mayor of New Haven (2020–present) ^[19]
• Joe Ganim, mayor of Bridgeport (1991–2003, 2015–present) ^[18]
• Caroline Simmons, mayor of Stamford (2021–present) ^[18]

Individuals

• Al Sharpton, civil rights activist ^[20]

Labor unions

• Connecticut Carpenters ^[21]
• Connecticut District Laborers' Council ^[21]
• Connecticut State Building Trades Unions ^[19]
• Connecticut Teamsters ^[17]
• Teamsters Local 1150 ^[21]
• UNITE HERE Local 217 ^[22]
• 4 other local Teamsters unions ^[21]

Organizations

• College Democrats of Connecticut ^[23]
• Giffords ^[24]

Political parties

• Democratic Party of Connecticut ^[17]

Josh Elliott

State legislators

• Saud Anwar, SD-03 (2019–present) ^[25]
• 6 state representatives ^[a]

Labor unions

• The 4Cs SEIU 1973 ^[27]
• New Haven Federation of Teachers ^[28]

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size [b]	Margin of error	Ned Lamont	Josh Elliott	Other	Undecided
Change Research [29] [A]	July 23-26, 2026	859 (LV)	± 3.4%	48%	27%	1% [c]	24%
University of New Hampshire [30]	June 18–23, 2026	286 (LV)	± 5.8%	53%	23%	1% [d]	24%
Change Research (D) [31] [B]	May 28–29, 2026	887 (LV)	± 3.4%	58%	20%	–	22%
University of New Hampshire [32]	April 16–20, 2026	177 (LV)	± 7.3%	52%	18%	–	30%
University of New Hampshire [33]	February 12–16, 2026	174 (LV)	± 7.4%	57%	13%	1% [e]	29%
University of New Hampshire [34]	November 13–17, 2025	235 (LV)	± 6.4%	55%	7%	2% [f]	37%

Convention

May 16, 2026 Democratic Convention ^[35]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Ned Lamont (incumbent)	1,468	74.56%
	Democratic	Josh Elliott	501	25.44%
Total votes			1,969	100.0%

Results

August 11, 2026 Democratic primary

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Ned Lamont (incumbent)		%
	Democratic	Josh Elliott		%
Total votes				%

Lieutenant governor

Candidates

Nominee

• Susan Bysiewicz, incumbent lieutenant governor (2019–present) ^[12]

Endorsements

Susan Bysiewicz

Labor unions

• Teamsters Local 1150 ^[21]
• UNITE HERE Local 217 ^[22]
• 4 other Teamsters unions ^[21]

Republican primary

Governor

At the Republican State Convention on May 16, 2026, at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, state Sen. Ryan Fazio (R-Greenwich) won the party's endorsement with approximately 92% of delegate votes on the first ballot. Former New York Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey received about 8% of the vote, falling well short of the 15% threshold needed to force an August primary, and quickly endorsed Fazio. ^[36]

In the following months before the convention, Erin Stewart, the former mayor of New Britain, was seen as the frontrunner in a tight race with Fazio. Just a day before the May 15th convention, Stewart suspended her campaign amid reports of alleged misuse of a New Britain city credit card for over $200,000 in personal expenses. Stewart subsequently endorsed Fazio. ^[37]

Candidates

Nominee

• Ryan Fazio, state senator from the 36th district (2021–present) ^[38]

Eliminated at convention

• Betsy McCaughey, former lieutenant governor of New York (1995–1998) and candidate for governor of New York in 1998 (endorsed Fazio) ^[39]

Filed paperwork

• Timothy Wilcox ^[40]

Formed exploratory committee

• Harry Arora, former state representative from the 151st district (2020–2023) and nominee for state treasurer in 2022 ^[41]

Withdrawn

• Jennifer Tooker, former first selectwoman of Westport (2021–2025) ^[42] (running for state comptroller) ^[43]

• Erin Stewart, former mayor of New Britain (2013–2025) and candidate for lieutenant governor in 2018 (endorsed Fazio) ^{[44] [45]}

Declined

• Matthew Corey, bar owner and perennial candidate (running for lieutenant governor) ^[46]
• Rob Sampson, state senator from the 16th district (2019–present) (endorsed Fazio) ^[47]

Endorsements

Ryan Fazio

Statewide officials

• Betsy McCaughey, former lieutenant governor of New York (1995–1998) and former gubernatorial candidate ^[48]

State legislators

• Vincent Candelora, minority leader of the House of Representatives (2021–present) from HD-86 (2007–present) ^[49]
• Stephen Harding, minority leader of the State Senate (2024–present) from SD-30 (2023–present) ^[49]
• 5 state senators ^[g]
• 11 state representatives ^[h]

Local officials

• Erin Stewart, former mayor of New Britain (2013–2025) and former gubernatorial candidate ^[18]

Organizations

• Connecticut Young Republicans ^[18]

Betsy McCaughey (withdrawn)

Statewide officials

• George Pataki, former governor of New York (1995–2006) ^[51]

Erin Stewart (withdrawn)

State legislators

• Kevin Witkos, former SD-08 (2009–2023) ^[19]
• 5 state representatives ^[i]

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size [b]	Margin of error	Ryan Fazio	Erin Stewart	Other	Undecided
OnMessage Inc. (R) [52] [C]	August 11–14, 2025	400 (LV)	± 4.9%	13%	42%	10%	35%

Lieutenant governor

Candidates

Nominee

• Matthew Corey, bar owner and perennial candidate ^[46]

Withdrew at convention

• Tim Ackert, state representative from the 8th district ^[53]

General election

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
Inside Elections [54]	Solid D	August 28, 2025
Race to the WH [55]	Safe D	June 19, 2026
Fox News [56]	Solid D	July 23, 2026
RealClearPolitics [57]	Solid D	June 5, 2026
Sabato's Crystal Ball [58]	Safe D	September 4, 2025
The Cook Political Report [59]	Solid D	September 11, 2025

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size [b]	Margin of error	Ryan Fazio (R)	Ned Lamont (D)	Other	Undecided
University of New Hampshire [30]	June 18–23, 2026	828 (LV)	± 3.4%	36%	49%	2%	12%

Hypothetical polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size [b]	Margin of error	Ned Lamont (D)	Erin Stewart (R)	Undecided
OnMessage Inc. (R) [60] [C]	August 2025	600 (LV)	–	50%	42%	8%

See also

• 2026 United States elections
• 2026 Connecticut elections

Notes

1. • Jason Doucette, HD-13 (2019–present) ^[19]
   • Nick Gauthier, HD-38 (2025–present) ^[19]
   • Jillian Gilchrest, HD-18 (2019–present) ^[19]
   • Anne Hughes, HD-135 (2019–present) ^[18]
   • Laurie Sweet, HD-91 (2025–present) ^[18]
   • Steven Winter, HD-94 (2025–present) ^[26]
2. Key:
   A – all adults
   RV – registered voters
   LV – likely voters
   V – unclear
3. "Would not vote" with 1%
4. "Write in Someone Else" with 1%
5. "Another candidate" with 1%
6. 'Write in someone else' with 2%
7. • Eric Berthel, SD-32 (2019–present) ^[50]
   • Paul Cicarella, SD-34 (2021–present) ^[19]
   • John Kissel, SD-07 (1993–present) ^[19]
   • Rob Sampson, SD-16 (2019–present) ^[47]
   • Heather Somers, SD-18 (2017–present) ^[19]
8. • Seth Bronko, HD-70 (2023–present) ^[19]
   • Patrick Callahan, HD-108 (2021–present) ^[19]
   • Joseph Canino, HD-65 (2025–present) ^[50]
   • Irene Haines, HD-34 (2019–present) ^[19]
   • Carol Hall, HD-59 (2017–present) ^[19]
   • Greg Howard, HD-43 (2021–present) ^[19]
   • Nicole Klarides-Ditria, HD-105 (2017–present) ^[19]
   • Gale Mastrofrancesco, HD-80 (2019–present) ^[19]
   • Tom O'Dea, HD-125 (2013-Present) ^[19]
   • Joseph Polletta, HD-68 (2017–present) ^[50]
   • Steve Weir, HD-55 (2022–present) ^[19]
9. • Tim Ackert, HD-08 (2011–present) ^[19]
   • Devin Carney, HD-23 (2015–present) ^[19]
   • Tom Delnicki, HD-14 (2017–present) ^[19]
   • Joe Hoxha, HD-78 (2023–present) ^[19]
   • Donna Veach, HD-30 (2021–present) ^[19]

Partisan clients

1. Poll sponsored by Impact CT
2. Poll sponsored by Impact CT
3. Poll sponsored by Stewart's campaign

References

1. "2026 State Primary Election Dates". NCSL. May 9, 2025. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
2. "U.S. Governor Approval Rating Tracker". Morning Consult Pro. Retrieved 2025-11-15.
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5. Haar, Dan. "Dan Haar: Will he run? Lamont interview reveals doubts about a third term for Connecticut governor". CT Insider. Archived from the original on 2025-07-01. Retrieved 2025-11-15.
6. Pazniokas, Mark (2025-11-14). "Today, the curtain goes up on Ned Lamont's bid for a third term". CT Mirror. Retrieved 2025-11-15.
7. Craven, John (2025-07-14). "Democrat Josh Elliott launches bid for governor, promising big shift from Lamont". News 12 Connecticut. Archived from the original on 2026-05-18. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
8. Brown, Andrew (2026-05-16). "CT Dems endorse Lamont for 3rd term, but he faces primary". CT Mirror. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
9. Putterman, Alex (July 14, 2025). "State Rep. Josh Elliott announces campaign for governor, promising to tax CT's wealthy". CT Insider. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
10. Mike Cerulli (November 7, 2025). "Ned Lamont to run for third term as Connecticut governor in 2026". WTNH .
11. Putterman, Alex (July 30, 2025). "Former Hartford mayor Luke Bronin to run for Congress, challenging Larson". Stamford Advocate . Retrieved July 30, 2025.
12. Eng, Donald (7 November 2025). "Lamont Confirms Run For Third Term — 'Susan And I Are Ready To Go'". CT News Junkie. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
13. Dennis, House (2025-01-19). "Connecticut Attorney General William Tong plans third term run, thinks Gov. Ned Lamont should seek reelection". WTNH (channel 8). Retrieved 2026-05-18.
14. Krechevsky, David (2026-01-27). "CT Comptroller Sean Scanlon announces re-election bid". Hartford Business Journal. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
15. Stewart, Doug (March 12, 2026). "Blumenthal, Murphy endorse Lamont re-election". FOX61 . Retrieved March 13, 2026.
16. "Gov. Ned Lamont wins full endorsement from CT's U.S. House delegation with focus on affordability". Hartford Courant. 22 November 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
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22. Shirnekhi, Dereen (13 May 2026). "Local 217 Endorses Lamont". New Haven Independent. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
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24. "Endorsements". GIFFORDS. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
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26. "Winter Endorses Elliott; Ward 3 Dems Back Sabin". New Haven Independent. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
27. Polansky, Chris (June 24, 2026). "Elliott touts first union endorsement in challenge to Lamont in primary for CT governor". Connecticut Public Broadcasting . Retrieved July 10, 2026.
28. "Teachers Union Endorses Elliott". New Haven Independent. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
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41. Hughes, Paul (January 14, 2026). "Former Greenwich state representative exploring GOP run for governor". CT Insider . Retrieved January 14, 2026.
42. Gurciullo, Brianna (September 26, 2025). "Westport First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker, a Republican, drops out of the race for CT governor". Stamford Advocate. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
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50. Cerulli, Mike (August 18, 2025). "Republicans start to pick sides: Stewart or Fazio". CT Capitol Report. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
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External links

Official gubernatorial campaign websites

• Josh Elliott (D)
• Ryan Fazio (R)
• Ned Lamont (D)
• Betsy McCaughey (R)
• Erin Stewart (R)
• Jennifer Tooker (R)

Official lieutenant gubernatorial campaign websites

• Tim Ackert (R)
• Matthew Corey (R)