On the first day of June, Gov. Ned Lamont began and ended his official public schedule with flag raising ceremonies marking the start of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, a gesture of election-year solidarity with a demographic that votes overwhelmingly Democratic. At both events, participants asked Lamont for s elfies. In between, the Democratic candidate for reelection visited the Honey Bear Learning Center in Stratford to “announce” something that needed no announcing: The budget he signed last week adds another $300 million to the Early Childhood Education Endowment established last year with a similar payment. It was the latest in a series of events promoting an early childhood initiative designed to simultaneously increase day care slots, increase early childhood teacher salaries and lower costs for working parents. Lamont sees it as a signal achievement by an administration with a reputation for fiscal restraint. “Susan, I think when we look back in 25 years, I think this will be the thing we’re proudest of,” Lamont said in Stratford, glancing at Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz. His commissioner of the Office of Early Childhood, four lawmakers and the newly elected Democratic mayor of Stratford applauded. As summer approaches, the differences between his official and campaign schedules are blurring, an advantage of incumbency as Lamont labors to reinforce the public perception of his nearly eight years in office as his liberal Democratic challenger, Rep. Josh Elliott of Hamden, gets closer to being able to afford a television advertising campaign that promises to be aggressive. Elliott consistently has faulted Lamont, a candidate seeking a third term, for refusing to raises taxes on the wealthy, a theme he intends to pursue once he gets his public financing grant. Elliott is a fan of the 4% surtax Massachusetts imposes on annual incomes exceeding $1.1 million. The surtax, which is on top of the state’s 5% base rate, has raised $3.1 billion in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year — nearly one third more than was projected, The Boston Globe recently reported. “We have a full slate of plans to address the affordability crisis in our state and not do it on the backs of working families, the way the governor has,” Elliott said Monday. “So it is about both explaining to the public the way that Ned Lamont continues to fail them — and that while they may like him, he is also the sole reason that they’re struggling to live in our state.” Rep. Josh Elliott celebrates at the state Democratic Convention, Saturday, May 16, 2026, in Hartford, Conn., after qualifying for a primary. Credit: Jessica Hill / CT Mirror Lamont counters that criticism by noting the fiscal stability achieved during his tenure has produced a string of budget surpluses that allowed the creation of the early education endowment, paid down the state’s crushing pension debt and allowed a middle-class tax cut and an increase in the earned income tax credit. Elliott says he reached a crucial milestone over the weekend as his fundraising topped $335,500 — the total necessary to qualify for a $3.75 million public grant for his primary campaign. He’ll probably need another week or so to raise what election officials call a “buffer,” then apply to the State Elections Enforcement Commission for the public grant.  The buffer is necessary because some contributions inevitably will be deemed non-qualifying. Under the rules of the rules of Citizens’ Election Program, at least $302,000 of the qualifying contributions must come from in-state donors. All contributions must be, in the aggregate, no less than $5 and no more than $340. State contractors are barred from contributing, and lobbyists are limited to no more than $100. Every qualifying contribution must be accompanied by a certificate of contribution listing the donor’s full name and residential address. Anticipating the grant, Elliott said he now is staffing up with a campaign manager and more field workers, as well as preparing advertising ahead of the Aug. 11 primary. Lamont said the tone of the campaign will be set by his challenger. “I think it’s up to him,” Lamont said. “You know me, I’ll talk about where we’ve been and where we’re going. And I think the state’s a lot better off than we were eight years ago. More importantly, what happens next? Universal healthcare, special education, early childhood endowment, that’s what I’m gonna talk about.” Lamont said he has a record; Elliott has talk. “You gotta say what the next four years are all about,” Lamont said. “Talk is cheap, but we’ve shown what we’ve done in the last 7 1/2 years. What are you gonna do for the next four years? You just heard my three big priorities.” Only the early childhood endowment exists. Lamont’s goals of offering universal healthcare through a public-private “Connecticut option” and easing special education costs on municipalities are works in progress, unlikely to be fully fleshed out before Election Day. Elliott, who spoke by phone Monday evening as he drove to a fundraiser in Woodstock, said Lamont’s campaign already has shown signs of being as hostile to Elliott as he has been to the governor.  “They put out a push poll a week ago that was just like after hit after hit after hit, so they’re gonna be doing the exact same thing,” Elliott said. “They’re gonna try to have this campaign, his campaign, look like they’re in some way being holier than thou. They’re gonna run just as dirty of a campaign.” A Lamont campaign aide speaking on background said the campaign tested positive and negative messages about both the governor and his challenger, a standard polling tactic. Push polls are designed to persuade voters, not gauge their opinions. While Elliott focuses on raising the remaining funds he needs before filing his application for the public financing grant, he said he is unconcerned with the governor’s promoting his record in an increasingly busy schedule of official and campaign events. “We have eight years worth of history, of knowing who this governor is,” Elliott said. “So him running a sprint two months before an election to try to reverse the perception of who he is, so he gets to have four more years to go back to being who he is, it’s all noise.” Elliott, a five-term lawmaker who is simultaneously seeking reelection to the House as he challenges Lamont, said he will try to turn one of the governor’s attributes into a liability: His affability and general nice guy reputation. Elliott said Lamont is too nice to Donald Trump and too nice to electric utilities, claims the governor rejects.  “Nice is a problem right now. Nice doesn’t solve affordability. Nice doesn’t solve fascism or fight back against fascism,” Elliott said. “So he can be nice all day long, but that’s a liability right now.” ...read more read less