State Rep. Josh Elliott, D-Hamden, a liberal who recently predicted that Gov. Ned Lamont would not go unchallenged for the Democratic nomination if he runs in 2026, filed papers Tuesday creating a gubernatorial campaign committee.

Unclear was whether Elliott was committed to an all-or-nothing run for governor or a campaign to test Democrats’ appetite for an alternative to Lamont, whose centrist politics on fiscal issues are a source of tension with some on the left.

Elliott, who has called for a more progressive tax structure, said by text he will make a formal campaign announcement Monday in Hamden.

Elliott, who declined further comment, ran for secretary of the state in 2022, staying in the campaign through the nominating convention, then opted to quit and seek reelection to the House.

“I don’t think it’s an all-or-nothing,” said Rep. Anne Hughes, D-Easton, a progressive ally of Elliott. But she also cautioned against a comparison to 2022, saying, “I think this is a really different moment.”

Hughes said the party needs a more aggressive approach to a Trump administration that she says is promoting “a police state” and dismantling the social safety net, and there is a desire for generational change.

“The governor doesn’t understand the urgency,” she said.

Elliott, 40, a five-term state lawmaker, is the first Democrat to file papers creating a gubernatorial campaign committee. Lamont, 71, said last month he was seriously considering a third term but stopped far short of an announcement.

Jen Tooker, the Westport first selectwoman, is a declared candidate for the Republican nomination. New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart, also a Republican, has an exploratory committee and is expected to run.

House Speaker Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, said Elliott had informed him of his intention to open a campaign, but he declined to speculate on whether Elliott would try to force a primary if Lamont runs.

“Josh has become a very good friend and trusted colleague,” Ritter said. “And he indicated to me that he wanted to go out and talk to people.”

Lamont, who has consistently scored positive, if not exemplary, approval ratings since a rocky start in 2019, is widely seen as well-positioned in a general election, given fiscal policies that have cut taxes, paid down debt and produced record budget reserves. He has opposed any increase in income tax rates, including for high earners.

Some of those same fiscal policies have generated criticism from some labor leaders who have urged higher taxes on the wealthy, most notably Ed Hawthorne, the president of the Connecticut AFL-CIO. Lamont’s vetoes of a labor priority, a measure that would have provided jobless benefits for strikers, and an omnibus housing bill, also provoked complaints on the left.

One Democratic strategist who has been privy to discussions among the potential of a challenge to the governor said of Elliott’s filing: “I think this is a shot across the bow.”

The strategist declined to be quoted by name, citing the sensitivity of those discussions. If nothing else, the strategist said, Elliott could make Lamont more open to policy overtures from the left.

Rob Blanchard, the governor’s communications director, had no direct comment on Elliott’s candidacy but stressed the governor’s Democratic credentials.

“From day one, Gov. Lamont’s focus has been on expanding opportunity and making Connecticut more affordable for working families. He championed progressive priorities such as free child care for families making less than $100k, paid family and medical leave, expanding our earned income tax credit for our lowest-earning residents, and increasing our minimum wage to one of the highest in the country,” Blanchard said.

Blanchard indicated the governor would not rest on that record.

“While that’s a proud record on affordability and opportunity that could go up against anyone,” Blanchard said, “the governor understands that more must be done to bring costs down for families across Connecticut, and it will continue to be the No. 1 focus of his administration.”

Hughes said the upset victory by 33-year-old socialist Zohran Mamdani in the New York mayoral primary has exposed an appetite for new leadership, as did the recent announcement of a 37-year-old Hartford school board member, Ruth Fortune, that she would challenge U.S. Rep. John B. Larson, D-1st District.

In an interview the day after Mamdani defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a Democratic mayoral primary in New York City, Elliott was reluctant to find evidence of vulnerability by Lamont in Cuomo’s defeat, given Cuomo’s resignation over sexual harassment accusations.

“You need to be really aware of luck — and that’s not to in any way detract from that race — but I think that Mamdani got lucky to be against a truly unsympathetic competitor, where Ned is a nice guy and is really likable,” Elliott said.

Elliott did note, however, that he began his own career by announcing an intention to run a primary against Rep. J. Brendan Sharkey, D-Hamden, who then was the House speaker. Sharkey ultimately did not run in 2016.