Ned Lamont Wins third term as Democrats Expand control of CT legislature

The Associated Press called the Connecticut governor’s race for Ned Lamont at 9:15 p.m. Tuesday, a result so decisive that the only remaining drama was the size of the Democratic wave down the ballot. Even before Bridgeport, Hartford and Stamford had posted results, Lamont held more than 57% of the vote statewide, while Democrats were projected to pick up at least nine House seats for a 111-40 majority and at least five Senate seats for a 30-6 supermajority—the largest since the 1974 post-Watergate election.

The rout extended across the statewide ticket. Democrats swept all six constitutional offices, with Lamont and Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz joined by Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas, Comptroller Sean Scanlon, Treasurer Erick Russell and Attorney General William Tong. “This is going to be a great night to be a Democrat,” said Roberto Alves, the state Democratic chair.

A Third Term That Rewrites the Record Books

Lamont entered his victory party at Dunkin’ Park in Hartford to chants of his name, thanking Fazio for waging an issues-based campaign before pivoting immediately to 2028. “We’re going to win in 2028,” he told the crowd. “We’re going to take this country back.” Yet he cautioned that the message must extend beyond opposing President Donald Trump. “It’s also about who we are, who we stand for as a country.”

The governor’s win in his hometown of Greenwich, where both candidates reside, came with 56% of the vote. The Courant noted that Lamont led from start to finish, self-funding his campaign as he has done in five statewide races since 2006, while Fazio received $18 million through the state’s public financing system. Despite that investment, a final University of New Hampshire poll found 42% of voters viewed Fazio unfavorably compared with 39% favorably, though only 6% said they didn’t know enough to form an opinion.

Ned Lamont Wins third term as Democrats Expand control of CT legislature — Photo: courant.com

Fazio Steps Down Amid Election Aftermath

Fazio conceded at about 9:30 p.m. from a Stamford hotel, describing his phone call with Lamont as “cordial.” At 36, he leaves the race with name recognition that Republican Fred Camillo, the First Selectman of Greenwich, predicted would fuel a future run. “You always have to have a beginning of something,” Camillo said. “And what Ryan Fazio brought was an excitement that I haven’t seen in Connecticut in years.”

Fazio gave no indication of future plans beyond his upcoming marriage to fiancée Amy Orser. “I think, you know, after any election, you need to take time to reflect, and that’s what we should do,” he said. The calendar suggests a potential rematch: Lamont’s third term begins Jan. 6, three days after his 73rd birthday, and he has all but ruled out a fourth term in 2030, smiling that “time marches on.”

The Trump Shadow Over Connecticut

The race unfolded under the intense national fight for control of Congress and the president’s insistence that voters treat him as if he were on the ballot—an invitation Democrats embraced. With gas prices elevated by the war on Iran and trade tariffs unsettling markets, voter animus flowed toward the White House rather than the governor’s mansion. Lamont never trailed in any public poll, even as surveys showed voters anxious about the high cost of living.

First-time voter Zachary Rairan, 19, of Fairfield cited abortion rights and the 2019 minimum wage law as reasons for supporting Lamont, but added that the national mood mattered. “You can’t really disregard what’s happening at the national level,” he said. “I don’t want to support a party that, at a higher level, takes advantage of people.”

Not every voter followed that logic. Matthew Benjamin, 67, a Republican from Fairfield, voted a straight GOP ticket for the first time, joking that he came for the Girl Scout cookies but stayed for concerns about “fraud” and broken promises. “I’m just tired of all the B.S.,” he said.

Looking ahead, Lamont and the enlarged Democratic majorities face a state buoyed by budget surpluses but still grappling with affordability. The governor has already signaled his administration will continue using state resources to blunt federal cuts—a $500 million emergency response fund created with the legislature proved popular with voters. What remains open is whether Fazio’s 2026 campaign becomes a foundation for 2030, and whether Lamont’s 2028 ambitions translate into a national platform for the party.