Lamont, pizza, and 2026: CT Republicans attack governor on affordability, tourism campaign

Hitting on the ever-present theme of affordability, the state Republican Party blasted Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont to kick off the 2026 political campaign Monday in a potentially bitter election.

As Connecticut Republicans seek to oust Lamont in November, they released a 60-second ad mocking Lamont’s declaration that Connecticut is the pizza capital of the United States, which is proclaimed on major highway signs at the state’s borders.

The dramatic ad juxtaposes news reports of spiking costs of living, anguished-looking residents in their homes and footage of Lamont laughing, eating pizza and declaring New Haven’s pizza supremacy.

“We call it our pizza ad because Ned Lamont has lost sight of what’s important in Connecticut,” said Republican state chairman Ben Proto. “He’s lost sight of what’s important to Connecticut families. When we declare Connecticut to be the pizza capital of the world, in fact we should be declaring Connecticut to be one of the most expensive states in the world, having the highest property taxes in the world, and some of the highest electric rates in the world — at least in the United States. Those are the things that we should be concentrating on.”

The one-minute advertisement will be shown largely on social media, including X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and various YouTube channels. The ad ends with a statement on the screen that says, “Connecticut is unaffordable. Thanks to Ned Lamont.”

Proto summoned reporters to the state party headquarters in Middletown on Monday to show the video and talk about the campaign strategy for 2026.

“Ned Lamont is channeling his inner Marie Antoinette,” Proto said, referring to the archduchess of Austria credited with a quote that remains in dispute. “Let Connecticut eat pizza.”

But state Sen. Matthew Lesser immediately responded outside the headquarters on behalf of the state Democratic Party by saying that Republicans should not be the ones talking about affordability when Republican President Donald J. Trump has recently blocked construction of the Revolution Wind project off the coasts of Connecticut and Rhode Island that is designed to provide electricity for a high-cost state.

“The governor has cut taxes,” Lesser said on the sidewalk outside Republican headquarters. “Meanwhile, Republicans in Washington just tripled health insurance prices for Connecticut residents. The president is shutting down offshore wind, which is going to raise electric rates. And tariffs are making everything more expensive, including pizza. So the idea that these guys care about affordability, when they’re more focused on their new MAGA tone and doubling down on their extremist rhetoric, is just bizarre.”

Regarding Republicans, Lesser added, “They’re making absolutely everything worse. They were the ones who passed the public benefits charge [on Connecticut electric bills] in the first place back in 2017. These guys don’t care about affordability. They’ve never cared about affordability, and they’re making Connecticut and the country less affordable with tariffs, shutting down offshore wind and making health insurance more expensive for everyone in the country.”

Governor’s race

In a state dominated by Democrats, Republicans are gearing up in this year’s elections to battle for governor, all statewide constitutional offices, all five U.S. House of Representatives seats, and all 187 seats in the state legislature.

The biggest race will be the battle for governor; Lamont hopes to become only the second politician in state history to win three four-year terms as governor. The only one to do that so far has been Republican John G. Rowland, who never completed his third term as he stepped down during a wide-ranging scandal that sent him and others to federal prison.

The two top Republican candidates are state Sen. Ryan Fazio of Greenwich and longtime New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart.

The biggest wildcard at the moment is whether former New York Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey, who has a home in Greenwich and an apartment in Manhattan, would run for governor in Connecticut. McCaughey (pronounced McCoy) is a frequent guest on CNN on a variety of political topics. Proto said he spoke to her “a couple of days ago” and expects her to make a final decision about running “in the relatively near future.”

Lamont started the campaign with an advantage as a two-term incumbent with far more name recognition and substantially more money than his opponents. A multimillionaire from Greenwich, Lamont has spent more than $60 million of his own money on four statewide races that include his first major race for the U.S. Senate against Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman in 2006.

In the short-term, Lamont could face a possible Democratic primary in August against state Rep. Josh Elliott of Hamden. Both Fazio and Stewart have been working toward officially qualifying for public financing. Under the state’s campaign financing law, Lamont’s opponent is expected to have more than $15 million in public funds for the general election in November 2026 as the total has increased since campaign costs have skyrocketed in recent years. That total would be on top of $3.2 million for the primary.

Fazio’s campaign has been boosted by key endorsements from Senate Republican leader Stephen Harding of Brookfield and House Republican leader Vincent Candelora of North Branford, the two highest-ranking Republicans in the state.

Stewart has released a list of supporters that includes 12 current and former state legislators, including former state Sen. George Logan, who raised his profile by running twice unsuccessfully against Democrat U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes during the last two election cycles. Stewart’s endorsement list also includes more than 30 current and former selectmen and town council members, more than 20 local Republican chairs, and 16 state central committee members, among others.

For Lamont, running for a third term was a highly personal decision. Many politicians make the decision simply based on whether they believe they can win or not. Based on his personal wealth, Lamont could easily retire and travel around the world. But he says he loves his job and wants to continue doing it.

In Lamont’s case, he turned 72 on Jan. 3 and would be 73 at the start of his third term in January 2027. He would then be 77 years old at the end of the four-year term. Another factor is that his wife, Annie, has declined to retire and is still working at 69 as a highly successful venture capitalist who specializes in the health care industry.

Christopher Keating can be reached at [email protected]