East Hartford, Connecticut– Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said he is filing the necessary paperwork on Friday to run for a third term in 2026.
The Democrat, who has been asked by reporters for months if he would run again, said a formal announcement would likely be made next week.
“Yes, Susan and I are ready to go,” he said during an event on affordable housing, referring to Lt. Gov. Susan Piesiewicz. “I didn’t want you to ask me anymore.”
Lamont, 71, a wealthy former cable businessman, earned a reputation as a fiscal moderate, signing a major tax cut and paying down unfunded state pension liabilities. He also supported access to abortion through sanctuary laws and greater protections for immigrants.
Lamont, one of two Democratic governors to attend President Donald Trump’s inauguration, carefully chose the issues on which he would criticize Republicans. The tactic has drawn complaints from more liberal Democrats in Connecticut, who have also criticized his budget approach as too conservative.
No Connecticut governor has served three consecutive terms in modern times. Former Republican Gov. John G. Rowland was elected to a third consecutive term in November 2022 but resigned in 2004 amid a corruption scandal.