Erin Stewart, New Britain’s former six-term Republican mayor, made it official this week: she’s running for governor.
“It’s time for something different,” Stewart, 38, said at a campaign kick-off event Thursday afternoon at New Britain Stadium.
Decrying “16 years of one-party rule,” Stewart said she believes her party can take back the governor’s office.
“Let me say this loud and clear: I’m running for governor as a Republican,” Stewart said. “I’m running for governor because this state is too far left. I’m running to bring balance to politics.”
“We are gonna remind Hartford who they work for,” she said, slamming “Ned Lamont and the Hartford clowns.”
Following her speech, Stewart left the campaign event Thursday without speaking to the assembled press.
Stewart isn’t alone in the field in her criticisms of Lamont. Fellow Republican gubernatorial candidate Ryan Fazio, a state senator from Greenwich, said it’s time for Lamont to go.
“After two full terms, Governor Lamont has raised taxes and public benefits charges to the point that Connecticut has the third-highest electricity rates and taxes in the country,” Fazio said. “Regular families are struggling to make ends meet. Two terms are enough. It's time for a positive change.”
On the Democratic side, state Rep. Josh Elliott of Hamden is challenging Lamont from the left.
“The issue of affordability in Connecticut has gone from being chronic to being acute, and [Lamont] is not the person to address that because, quite frankly, he is looking out for his wealthy friends, and he is not looking out for people in the middle class,” Elliott said. “He holds us back on issues of affordability. He wants to use the word, but he doesn't want to do what it actually takes to make our state affordable.”
Asked about Stewart’s entry into the race, Lamont said he’d worked constructively with her during her time as mayor of New Britain and welcomed her candidacy.
“I’m going to take care of the state of Connecticut,” Lamont added.
Connecticut Public’s Matt Dwyer contributed to this report.
