Connecticut — Governor

D Democratic Ned Lamont

Supports utility oversight and affordability standards

Governor Lamont focuses on holding electric utilities accountable by enforcing affordability as a regulatory standard for profits and requiring strict cost-benefit analyses before infrastructure investments. His platform emphasizes strengthening consumer oversight, expanding private investment in microgrids, and building a clean, reliable energy grid.

• Require affordability to be considered when determining utility profit margins
• Strengthen the Office of Consumer Counsel to challenge rate increases
• Expand private investment in energy infrastructure, microgrids, and cost-saving technologies
• Mandate rigorous cost-benefit analyses prior to charging major utility investments to ratepayers

“Affordability as a regulatory standard: Require affordability to be considered when determining utility profits, ensuring ratepayers are not asked to shoulder unreasonable costs.”

R Republican Ryan Fazio

Proposes cutting electric bills by twenty percent

Fazio has made cutting electric bills by 20% a central focus of his platform by removing hidden state taxes and cost-driving mandates. He advocates for expanded reliable energy supply, co-authored cuts to public benefits charges, and called for vetoing utility bills that raise costs.

• Cut electricity bills by 20% by eliminating hidden taxes and regulatory mandates
• Expand reliable energy supply and strengthen state utility oversight
• Co-authored legislative reductions to public benefits charges on utility bills
• Opposed state legislation like HB 5340 that risks raising electric rates

“Connecticut has the second-highest electricity rates in the continental United States. Ryan Fazio has a real plan to cut electricity bills by 20% — by ending hidden taxes, expanding reliable supply, and removing the mandates driving up costs.”

“Another Double-Digit Eversource Rate Hike After Eight Years of Lamont Is Unacceptable”

D Democratic Ned Lamont

Delivered middle-class tax relief and corporate fair-share initiatives

Lamont points to his record of passing the state's largest middle-class tax cut, raising the minimum wage to $15, expanding paid family leave, and balancing state budgets. He proposes a Fair Share Healthcare Initiative that requires large corporations with HUSKY-enrolled workers to contribute up to $1,000 per employee.

• Enacted the largest middle-class income and property tax cuts in Connecticut history
• Raised the minimum wage to $15 per hour and implemented paid family and medical leave
• Proposed requiring corporations with over 100 employees to contribute up to $1,000 per employee enrolled in HUSKY
• Expanded property tax credits for working families and seniors

“As always, our north stars will be affordability and opportunity, holding down the cost of energy and education, allowing you to keep more of what you earn, and providing you the tools you need to earn more to buy a home, to start a business.”

“Look, we’ve significantly increased the minimum wage over the last six years. And no, that was not a job killer. We have more private sector jobs today than ever before.”

R Republican Ryan Fazio

Advocates across-the-board income tax cuts and property tax caps

Fazio advocates for broad economic relief by cutting income tax rates by $1,500 per family, capping local property taxes, and enforcing strict fiscal guardrails in Hartford. He opposes new employer taxes and mandates, arguing they harm job growth and push residents to leave the state.

• Lower income taxes for every Connecticut family by $1,500
• Implement statewide property tax caps to protect homeowners and seniors
• Slash red tape and reduce wasteful state government spending
• Protect fiscal guardrails and state budget spending caps

“Ryan’s plan would lower income taxes for every Connecticut family by $1,500 and implement property tax caps. He holds a 100% rating from the CBIA for pro-economic-growth voting and would restore the fiscal guardrails Hartford has eroded.”

“Slash income tax rates for all families for the first time in state history”

D Democratic Ned Lamont

Supports transit-oriented development and expanded housing supply

Lamont seeks to lower housing costs by expanding workforce and middle-income housing near major transit hubs and downtown areas. He advocates for collaborative growth with local communities to increase overall housing inventory statewide.

• Expand affordable and mixed-income housing near public transit centers
• Support workforce housing construction and downtown redevelopment
• Partner with local municipal leaders to meet regional housing targets responsibly

“Governor Lamont is committed to increasing housing opportunities while working collaboratively with communities to ensure smart, responsible growth. More housing means lower costs for all Connecticut residents.”

R Republican Ryan Fazio

Protects local municipal zoning and opposes state housing mandates

Fazio promotes a 'Grand Bargain' housing plan that aims to increase housing supply while strictly safeguarding local town control over zoning decisions. He criticizes state mandates that override municipal objections in favor of high-density developers.

• Protect local municipal authority over zoning and land-use decisions
• Implement a 'Grand Bargain' housing plan to grow supply without state mandates
• Repeal state policies that allow state officials to overrule local town planning

“For eight years, Gov. Lamont has allowed Hartford bureaucrats and big developers to make decisions for municipalities over local objections and added new mandates that drive up costs for municipalities and families.”

D Democratic Ned Lamont

Expands universal pre-K, childcare funding, and special education aid

Lamont focuses on establishing universal pre-K, expanding affordable childcare through a $300 million Early Childhood Education Endowment, and delivering universal free school meals. He also prioritizes fully funding the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula and increasing state aid for special education.

• Establish universal pre-K and expand childcare through a $300M endowment
• Fully fund the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula and increase special education funding
• Provide universal free school meals for K-12 students
• Make community college tuition-free for in-state students who remain in Connecticut

“Nobel Prize-winning social science research has shown that each dollar invested in early childhood education results in $15 of future benefits.”

“Governor Lamont has already delivered historic investments in public education, and the next step is fixing the growing strain special education costs place on families and towns.”

R Republican Ryan Fazio

Advocates for school choice, higher standards, and tuition freezes

Fazio calls for raising K-12 academic standards, expanding school choice options for children in underperforming schools, and freezing public university tuition. He opposes regionalization of school districts and seeks to reduce state mandates on teachers.

• Raise academic achievement standards in reading and mathematics statewide
• Expand school choice for students stuck in failing public schools
• Freeze tuition at state universities indefinitely
• Oppose mandatory school district regionalization and preserve local control

“Connecticut has one of the most highly educated adult populations in the country and ranks among the nation’s highest-spending states on public education, yet our reading achievement has fallen and our math achievement is barely above average.”

“Freeze tuition for state universities indefinitely like it has been done successfully in Indiana and Wisconsin”

D Democratic Ned Lamont

Supports criminal justice reform and gun violence prevention

Lamont highlights reductions in prison population and DOC expenditures achieved through criminal justice reforms while supporting community reintegration. He has signed gun safety legislation and supported second-chance career opportunities for returning citizens.

• Reduced Department of Correction spending by $125 million annually through lower incarceration rates
• Enacted gun violence prevention measures and strict gun laws
• Expanded career and vocational training partnerships for returning citizens

“Thanks in large part to smart and sensible criminal justice reforms, Connecticut’s prison population continues to fall – as does the state’s crime rate. Keeping pace on these reforms will drive down these costs by $125 million a year.”

R Republican Ryan Fazio

Reforms police laws, closes parole loopholes, and restores proactive policing

Fazio advocates for rolling back parts of the 2020 anti-police law, closing parole loopholes for violent offenders, and re-establishing proactive law enforcement techniques. He holds endorsements from gun-rights and law enforcement advocacy groups.

• Reform the 2020 state anti-police legislation to support law enforcement
• Close parole loopholes for violent criminal offenders
• Reinstate proactive policing practices to curb car thefts and violent crime
• Endorsed by the Connecticut Citizens Defense League and National Rifle Association

“Homicides, car thefts, and other serious crimes rose to unacceptable levels under the Lamont administration. Ryan’s plan reforms the 2020 anti-police legislation, closes parole loopholes for violent offenders, and reinstates proactive policing to keep our communities safe.”

D Democratic Ned Lamont

Expands public coverage options and caps drug costs

Lamont advocates for expanding affordable healthcare access through the CT Option and Covered Connecticut programs, capping prescription drug costs, and protecting reproductive healthcare rights. His platform includes capping out-of-network emergency room fees and enforcing mental health parity.

• Cap out-of-pocket prescription drug costs and lower drug prices
• Expand healthcare access via Covered CT and the proposed CT Option
• Eliminate surprise out-of-network emergency room charges
• Protect abortion access and reproductive healthcare rights in state law

“Governor Lamont’s Fair Share Healthcare Initiative lowers health insurance premiums by requiring large corporations to take responsibility for the healthcare costs of their workforce instead of shifting those costs onto taxpayers.”

R Republican Ryan Fazio

Promotes healthcare regulatory reform and market competition

Fazio supports improving healthcare access by streamlining state regulations and promoting competition to expand insurance choices and healthcare jobs. He co-authored bipartisan legislation focused on healthcare access and insurance oversight.

• Co-authored laws to improve patient healthcare access and utilities oversight
• Streamline state health regulations to encourage private sector job growth and coverage options
• Focus on market competition to help lower consumer healthcare expenses

“He has co-authored several other laws to protect taxpayers, defend local control of decision-making for towns, improve health care access, and strengthen utilities oversight.”

D Democratic Ned Lamont

Targets a zero-carbon energy grid by 2040

Lamont has committed Connecticut to achieving a 100% zero-carbon electricity grid by 2040 and net-zero total emissions by 2050. His plan expands solar, offshore wind, electric vehicle infrastructure, heat pump adoption, and open space preservation.

• Achieve a 100% zero-carbon electricity grid by 2040 and net-zero emissions by 2050
• Expand utility-scale and residential solar along with offshore wind energy
• Preserve 21% of Connecticut's total land area as permanent open space
• Accelerate home weatherization and electric heat pump adoption

“Achieve a 100% zero-carbon grid by 2040 and net-zero emissions by 2050 targets. To get there, we will continue a balanced, responsive expansion of utility-scale solar, paired with small-scale and residential deployments.”

R Republican Ryan Fazio

Supports clean energy through market-based reliability

Fazio brings background experience in the renewable energy sector, supporting clean energy initiatives that prioritize affordability and power grid reliability. He advocates for market-driven solutions over costly government mandates.

• Leverage private sector experience in the renewable energy industry
• Ensure clean energy policies maintain power grid reliability and lower electric bills
• Oppose environmental regulations and green mandates that inflate ratepayer costs

“Energy - in order to help make electricity in our state reliable and affordable and clean”

D Democratic Ned Lamont

Invests in public transit, rail lines, and road repairs

Lamont prioritizes upgrading Connecticut's transportation network by repairing highways, protecting the Special Transportation Fund lockbox, and expanding public transit like the Hartford Line rail service. He supports building electric vehicle infrastructure and transit-oriented development.

• Protect the Special Transportation Fund lockbox strictly for transit and infrastructure repair
• Modernize state highway bridges and repair deficient road surfaces
• Expand rail and bus services, including the Hartford Line
• Build out statewide electric vehicle charging infrastructure

“We can’t have a 21st century economy with a deficient 20th century transportation system: We must repair and modernize our infrastructure to improve and repair roads and services that employers and employees count on to get to work on time and move goods throughout the state.”

R Republican Ryan Fazio

Prioritizes high-value rail lines and opposes highway tolls

Fazio advocates fixing transportation infrastructure without implementing tolls or tax increases by streamlining construction regulations and auditing the Department of Transportation. He supports prioritizing funding for major rail lines and key highways over low-traffic projects.

• Fix transportation infrastructure without introducing highway tolls or new taxes
• Prioritize funding for high-value commuter transit including Metro-North and Interstate 95
• Audit the Connecticut Department of Transportation to eliminate waste and inefficiency
• Reform construction regulations to reduce repair costs and timelines

“Connecticut must fix its costly, inadequate transportation system without tolls or other new taxes on workers by embracing several reforms”

R Republican Ryan Fazio

Streamlines services, cuts fees, and supports veteran employment

Fazio highlights Connecticut's 130,000 veterans and proposes streamlining state veteran services, cutting fees, recognizing out-of-state professional licenses, and expanding career opportunities to combat veteran homelessness.

• Streamline delivery of state veteran health and social services
• Reduce state fees and recognize out-of-state professional licenses for veterans
• Expand employment and job training programs targeted at military veterans
• Address veteran homelessness through coordinated housing assistance

“Connecticut is home to over 130,000 veterans, yet progress on veteran homelessness, healthcare access, and job training has stalled. Ryan will streamline veteran services, reduce costs, cut fees, recognize out-of-state licenses, and support employment opportunities for those who served.”