The Connecticut Mirror’s election coverage aims to empower voters to make informed decisions about Connecticut’s leadership and public policy, to counter the spread of disinformation that threatens to undermine our democracy, and to hold people seeking office accountable for their promises to the electorate.
Here’s what you can expect.
Over the next two months, our staff will be committed to producing the highest quality, in-depth election coverage in the state. We view the candidates as job applicants, incumbent or not. They are applying to hold positions of significant authority and influence over public policies that affect us all, which means voters need the tools to make good hiring decisions.
How will we do this?
As a statewide politics and public policy news organization with a small staff, we realize we can’t cover every race in all 169 cities and towns. Instead, we will focus on races with the highest stakes for the greatest number of Connecticut’s 3.6 million people, such as governor and U.S. Senate; contests that are generating the most interest; and the most competitive races, as they are usually a signifier of a changing electorate or escalating divisions over issues like abortion, parental rights or local control.
We will also pursue stories that explain trends, combat misinformation and disinformation, put races into historical and political perspective, and track the amount of money being spent by the candidates.
Here are some of the key races we will be following:
U.S. Senate: CT Mirror’s federal reporter Lisa Hagen will be leading coverage of this race, which has pitted Democrat Richard Blumenthal, who has held the post since 2011, against GOP challenger Leora Levy, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
U.S. House: CT Mirror will focus on the most competitive races for the state’s five seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, particularly the race in the 5th District, which has long been a swing district.
Governor: CT Mirror’s Capitol Bureau Chief Mark Pazniokas has been covering state politics for decades, and his extensive coverage of the race between Gov. Ned Lamont and Bob Stefanowski will continue through Election Day.
Attorney General, Secretary of the State, Treasurer, Comptroller: We will profile the candidates running for these statewide constitutional offices and explain their platforms.
General Assembly: We will select key races to cover, based on competitiveness, relevance to specific issues and potential impact on the upcoming legislative session.
In the days following the election, we will provide you with analysis, take a deep look at voting results and patterns and offer previews of what the congressional and legislative sessions will bring.
Our goal is to give you, our readers, the information you need to vote. We believe we share this responsibility – that journalists must be committed to informing their readers, and that readers must inform themselves to properly participate in this democracy.
So what can you do? Talk to us. What questions about this election do you want answered? What issues or races would you most like for us to explore? We’d love to hear from you — so send us a note at news@ctmirror.org.