With the national party in crisis, CT Democrats can't agree on whether it's time for change

Yahoo

17 hours ago

With Democrats struggling nationally over their future direction, the party in Connecticut is facing some similar questions of ideological and generational lines as younger liberals challenge the 'Old Guard' that has held office for years.
The generational shift includes a challenge by state Rep. Josh Elliott, 40, against Gov. Ned Lamont, 71, with liberals saying that Lamont has not been progressive enough on the taxation of the wealthy and disagree with his recent vetoes of key bills on affordable housing and awarding unemployment compensation for workers on strike for more than 14 days.
Lamont supporters counter that the latest polling by Morning Consult shows Lamont among the most popular governors in the country with an approval rate of 63% and a disapproval rating of 29%.
In another race, former Hartford mayor Luke Bronin, 46, is seriously considering challenging longtime U.S. Rep. John B. Larson, who turns 77 on July 22. Larson has won 14 consecutive elections, but has suffered two public episodes in which he temporarily 'froze' in the middle of speeches. In a nationally televised speech in February on C-SPAN, Larson suffered a 'complex partial seizure' on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives as he was making remarks.
Larson underwent tests and said later that he had previously had a heart valve replacement years earlier. He suffered a second incident in April during a press conference at the Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford, where he paused again during an answer before recovering and soon after having his picture taken with other attendees.
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Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves, who was installed as the new state Democratic chairman earlier this year after being endorsed by Lamont, is managing the wide-ranging ideologies and is not trying to deter anyone from forcing a primary. Instead, he follows the mantra of Lamont, who welcomed Elliott to the race.
'We're the big tent party,' Alves told The Courant in an interview. 'Personally, I think we need to be the bigger tent party. With the divisiveness in Washington, D.C., they all have a strategy on what they think they can do better. In Connecticut, it's tough because people see what's going on nationally and they want the Democrats to do more. I look at everything we've done already — we hold every office. We have super majorities in our state Senate and our state House for the first time since 2008. That's because Democrats have been delivering and our message has been resonating with people.'
Concerning primaries, Alves added, 'This is democracy. This is a right that people have, and we won't get in the way of democracy. What the governor said is 'Welcome to the race.''
At the same time, younger Democrats are looking for leadership roles while others have held office for decades and have reached higher ages. Besides Larson, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro is 82 years old, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal is 79, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney is 72, and Lamont is 71.
'Are younger folks upset with what they're seeing elsewhere and it's maybe permeating into some local stuff? Perhaps,' Alves said. 'Look, I'm a 41-year-old mayor in Danbury and the first Democratic mayor in 22 years. I'm much younger than my opponent that we beat to get here and actually my opponent now.'
On the national level, Democrats have been frustrated as they try to find their way in the ongoing battle against President Donald Trump, who has consolidated power with Republicans controlling the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.
Deputy House Speaker pro tempore Bob Godfrey of Danbury said that the national leaders, such as Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York, need to do more. He said they missed their chance when President Joe Biden was in the White House and the Democrats controlled both chambers of Congress in 2021 and 2022.
'Where's the Democratic platform? I don't see any,' Godfrey said in an interview. 'So far, your platform has one plank, and it's 'We're not Trump.' Not enough. We lost working-class voters. What are you doing to get them back? Crickets.'
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Noting that he was an elector for Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2016, Godfrey said the party needs to get back on its feet after Trump defeated former Vice President Kamala Harris of California.
'Concentrating on marginal issues instead of working class family issues has hurt the party nationally,' Godfrey said. 'Happily, we've retained the working class vote here in Connecticut, and we've worked at it.'
Democrats differ sharply over the lessons learned from the stunning primary victory of Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and others.
Mamdani came out of nowhere after Cuomo led by wide margins in the early polls based largely on his name recognition as the former governor.
Liberals and young Democrats have been highly energized by Mamdani's victory, and he is now facing Cuomo and current mayor Eric Adams in the general election in November. Liberals said the win showed that the 33-year-old Democratic socialist could take out the 67-year-old former governor from the Old Guard.
But others say there are no widespread lessons to be learned from Mamdani.
'That's such a New York City parochial thing,' said Godfrey, who graduated from Fordham University in The Bronx. 'It doesn't translate into Westchester County or Long Island, for crying out loud. Or northern New Jersey. … I have no qualms about saying New York City's issues and voting don't translate outside of the city.'
Alves agreed, saying that New York is 'unique' with its own issues and problems.
'The lesson we can learn is that relentless campaigning, engaging younger voters, talking to people about kitchen-table issues are important,' Alves said. 'Grassroots campaigns still work. It's not about money and the last name. It's about engaging your voters and talking about things that are on their mind. That's what wins elections.'
State Republican chairman Ben Proto agreed with Democratic counterparts, saying, 'I think New York City is reflective of New York City. Ultimately, I don't think it's reflective of Connecticut as a whole or upstate New York or Long Island in that regard. New York City is kind of an entity unto itself.'
For frustrated Connecticut Democrats, Alves is encouraging activists to help the national push to recapture the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026.
'If what is going on in Washington is really bothering you, we need to flip four Congressional seats,' Alves said, referring to the House. 'Let's ensure that our Democratic delegation wins here, but then let's help with resources to other folks. Let's find those four Congressional seats and support them by making calls, donating, knocking doors, being a part of their campaigns as well and finding things that we can do. … Be part of the solution. Be part of that strategy, that fight and that team that can help change these things in two years and four years.'
Asked by The Courant about the turmoil in the Democratic Party nationally, Lamont responded, 'I think the Democrats know where they stand. I don't know where the Republicans stand. I don't think there's a Republican in this building or down in Washington who would have voted for that budget-busting deficit bill that Trump put forward say 10, 15 years ago. This time around, they all saluted. Not one of them has the right to ever use the words fiscal conservative again.'
Lamont added, 'I'm surprised there is no unrest amongst the Republicans. They voted for a budget they would have said no — hell no — to just 10 years ago. I have no idea where they stand now. I don't think they do, either.'
One of the defining issues in the governor's race is that liberals oppose Lamont's stance on blocking any tax increases on the state's wealthiest residents beyond the current highest rate of 6.99%. Democrats have called for a surcharge on capital gains, which generate huge amounts of money for the wealthiest investors.
Lamont, a Greenwich multimillionaire who funds his owns campaigns, has opposed tax increases for the past seven years as the state has rolled up large budget surpluses.
'For some people, a tax increase is a first resort,' Lamont told reporters recently. 'For me, it's an absolute last resort. We don't need it. We've done well. We're growing the economy. People are moving into the state.'
Elliott, 40, represents the other end of the spectrum, saying that the middle class pays too much of a percentage of their income in a variety of taxes, including sales and property.
Beyond taxes, Elliott has other concerns.
'I was astonished and horrified that our governor went to D.C. for Trump's inauguration after he had already seen the kind of president that Trump was,' Elliott said.
But Lamont, who held fundraisers at his Greenwich home for the Democratic campaigns of both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, said earlier this year that he went to Trump's inauguration out of respect for the office of the presidency. Lamont spent part of the time chatting with fellow governors and did not attend the inaugural balls or participate in the Republican celebrations during a trip that lasted less than 24 hours in Washington, D.C.
Proto said, 'If Elliott thinks being the Mamdani of Connecticut is the way to win, then he's living in a fantasyland.'
Going forward, Lamont will be working with the legislature in a special session as early as September to plug holes in the federal government's support for Connecticut on issues like Medicaid and food stamps. Top legislators have repeatedly said they do not know how much money will be cut, but the Kaiser Family Foundation estimated that Connecticut could lose as much as $13 billion over 10 years.
Godfrey said the governor needs to work closely with the General Assembly during the special session and during the next regular session that starts in February 2026.
'The governor made a big mistake in vetoing the housing bill and vetoing the striking workers bill,' said Godfrey, a liberal Democrat. 'In Connecticut, it's not ideology. The governor just needs to improve his relations with the General Assembly and actually collaborate with us. We'll see how that goes.'
While many liberals are backing Elliott, the House moderate caucus is strongly backing Lamont, even after the two vetoes. Overall, 18 House Democrats, including moderates from more upscale communities like Greenwich, Glastonbury and Simsbury, voted against the housing bill, which was crafted by Democratic leaders to address the state's affordable housing crisis.
'With the recent vetoes, Governor Lamont demonstrated the thoughtful, steady leadership Connecticut needs,' the moderates wrote in a statement. 'As proud moderate Democrats, we believe we reflect the views of the majority of Connecticut residents — and we're proud to stand with a governor who does the same.'
Concerning various Democratic primaries for Congress and governor, Proto said, 'For years, it's always been said the Republican Party was a dysfunctional party. It looks like the Democrats are taking on that mantle in 2026. It will be fun to watch what they're going to do to each other.'
Longtime Democratic strategist Matthew Hennessey of Hartford said Lamont's only threat is in the primary because he believes that Lamont could defeat any Republican in the field, including Sen. Ryan Fazio of Greenwich and Mayor Erin Stewart of New Britain.
'Ned has left the door open on the left side of the party,' Hennessey said. 'That's his only threat. His threat is not in the general election, even though Republicans like to say that. It's just never going to happen. … I don't think Josh can beat him, but there is going to be a lot of people who are going to use Josh's campaign as the vehicle to tell Ned that these things that he's been doing are not where the Democratic Party is today.'
With liberals and moderates often at odds on key issues, the state party chairman is the one who plays the role of keeping the party together.
'What Democrats have to understand is Democratic messages don't have to be uniform all the time,' Alves said. 'Everybody has a seat at our table because nobody has the market cornered on good ideas. We might not always agree with each other, but as long as we disagree respectfully and come out with policies that can work. Not everybody is always going to be happy. At the end of the day, it's the Democratic values and the Democratic principles that are important to keep our progress and keep our state moving forward.'
Christopher Keating can be reached at [e-mail]