[JayCT]

So yesterday Governor Ned Lamont said he is definitely running for re-election next year. It’s unlikely any other Democrat will challenge him.

Who will the Republicans select as their nominee? Will they try with Bob Stefanowski again? Will they go with someone new? If so, who? Themis Klarides? Mark Boughton? Erin Stewart? Or will they really drag the bottom of the barrel with Joe Markley?

Any other races that will be interesting to watch? Jay

https://ctmirror.org/2021/11/09/lamo...m-ready-to-go/

[Stylo]

Stefanowski would be DOA.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Stylo

Stefanowski would be DOA.

Agreed. I thought any Republican would be DOA, but after seeing the amount of communities that flipped from Democrat to Republican this last election, there’s a good chance if the national democrats continue down their self destructive path, any Republican could win Connecticut.

[mels]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Agreed. I thought any Republican would be DOA, but after seeing the amount of communities that flipped from Democrat to Republican this last election, there’s a good chance if the national democrats continue down their self destructive path, any Republican could win Connecticut.

The people of CT would have no problem electing a Republican governor if a good candidate is run by the party. The problem is unelectable candidates end up emerging from the Republican primary as of late. I am a registered Independent, so I get no say in the matter. I would vote for Erin Stewart if she won the primary. However, I would vote most any other candidate over having to vote for Markley or Stefanowski. I think my opinion is a common one round these parts. It isn't that CT is caught up in national politics, as I think you see that demonstrated on a local level in many towns. My town has a long history of being fairly evenly split between Ds and Rs. The problem is that CT Republicans run some real stinkers as candidates, more so than CT Democrats.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by mels

THe problem is that CT Republicans run some real stinkers as candidates, more so than CT Democrats.

I don’t agree there. Some of these democrats (Malloy, Murphy, Blumenthal, even Lamont, etc) have been so damaging to CT, both to the psyche of hardworking residents and physically to the state, that even the most inept of Republicans should be given a chance to right the serious wrongs they’ve committed.

Kind of amazes me that people will still vote Democrat after all that’s been happening in that state on their watch: hard left wing bills being passed, backfired juvenile reform, skyrocketing crime in the suburbs, etc.

Hold these people accountable for the diminishing quality of life and vote them out.

[MikefromCT]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

I don’t agree there. Some of these democrats (Malloy, Murphy, Blumenthal, even Lamont, etc) have been so damaging to CT, both to the psyche of hardworking residents and physically to the state, that even the most inept of Republicans should be given a chance to right the serious wrongs they’ve committed.

Kind of amazes me that people will still vote Democrat after all that’s been happening in that state on their watch: hard left wing bills being passed, backfired juvenile reform, skyrocketing crime in the suburbs, etc.

Hold these people accountable for the diminishing quality of life and vote them out.

Agreed, but I think the concern among voters is if we get a Republican candidate that they would bolt off in the opposite direction with crazy ideas of their own, and these would be just as destructive. Personally, I feel Lamont has done a good job of guiding this state through the pandemic. I don't agree with everything he's done, but by and large, I feel he handled it well, largely because he took this very seriously. Having said that, if a moderate Republican candidate throws their hat in the race and takes a pragmatic approach to some of the issues CT now faces, chiefly juvenile crimes, then I'd be far more inclined to support them. And it can be done. Look at the Virginia gubernatorial race: the GOP candidate won because he ran not as a hardline conservative but instead took a more moderate approach which made it easier to connect with suburban voters, Independents, even a few Democrats. If Erin Stewart ran as governor, she could easily follow suit here. She's a reasonable pragmatist, IMO. The problem is, though, I don't think she has any interest in running. Which is a shame, because I wish she would.

[in_newengland]

I think Lamont has done a great job and if he runs, he will be re-elected. He's guided us through covid, for one thing. He doesn't seem corrupt and I even wish he could be President!

[New Englander]

Originally Posted by MikefromCT

Agreed, but I think the concern among voters is if we get a Republican candidate that they would bolt off in the opposite direction with crazy ideas of their own, and these would be just as destructive. Personally, I feel Lamont has done a good job of guiding this state through the pandemic. I don't agree with everything he's done, but by and large, I feel he handled it well, largely because he took this very seriously. Having said that, if a moderate Republican candidate throws their hat in the race and takes a pragmatic approach to some of the issues CT now faces, chiefly juvenile crimes, then I'd be far more inclined to support them. And it can be done. Look at the Virginia gubernatorial race: the GOP candidate won because he ran not as a hardline conservative but instead took a more moderate approach which made it easier to connect with suburban voters, Independents, even a few Democrats. If Erin Stewart ran as governor, she could easily follow suit here. She's a reasonable pragmatist, IMO. The problem is, though, I don't think she has any interest in running. Which is a shame, because I wish she would.

I agree with this. Erin Stewart, Mike Boughton are the types of Republicans that can do well in CT. However, Boughton couldn't make it out of the primaries and Stewart is not likely to run.

I despise the political polarization in this country. I wish there were more Liberal Republicans and conservative Democrats around.

I support the Main Street Partnership and other centrist organizations for this reason. Until we can take back the two political parties from the loudest/most extreme voices, I'm afraid CT will continue its one party trajectory.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by MikefromCT

Agreed, but I think the concern among voters is if we get a Republican candidate that they would bolt off in the opposite direction with crazy ideas of their own, and these would be just as destructive. Personally, I feel Lamont has done a good job of guiding this state through the pandemic. I don't agree with everything he's done, but by and large, I feel he handled it well, largely because he took this very seriously. Having said that, if a moderate Republican candidate throws their hat in the race and takes a pragmatic approach to some of the issues CT now faces, chiefly juvenile crimes, then I'd be far more inclined to support them. And it can be done. Look at the Virginia gubernatorial race: the GOP candidate won because he ran not as a hardline conservative but instead took a more moderate approach which made it easier to connect with suburban voters, Independents, even a few Democrats. If Erin Stewart ran as governor, she could easily follow suit here. She's a reasonable pragmatist, IMO. The problem is, though, I don't think she has any interest in running. Which is a shame, because I wish she would.

Agreed. There are plenty of republicans in Connecticut that would do well and I don’t think the disdain for politicians like Stefanowski is warranted. I like to look at ontheissues.org, which records each politicians stances and formulates them to a scale, where Stafanowski ranks “centrist”, albeit a bit right leaning. Based on his stances, I agree with that. For me, personally, I don’t like republicans as much as I despise modern day democratic politicians.

I’m sorry but I cannot get behind any governor that has signed the damaging bills Lamont has. He is an absolute disgrace.

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Agreed. I thought any Republican would be DOA, but after seeing the amount of communities that flipped from Democrat to Republican this last election, there’s a good chance if the national democrats continue down their self destructive path, any Republican could win Connecticut.

Very true. NOVA demographics mirror FFC, and the change in margin there towards the GOP was the warning shot fired towards the radical left.

Best case scenario for the DNC, our Congressmen and Senators will be minority members 1-2023. I do expect down ticket DNC losses even in blue Ct, though.