These news briefs are part of The Connecticut Mirror’s 2026 political coverage. For more news about the 2026 legislative session, campaigns, elections and more, sign up here for The Issue, the CT Mirror’s weekly politics newsletter.
Financing deadline in gov’s race
July 2 is now the target date for Democratic gubernatorial challenger Josh Elliott to get approval of his application for a $3.75 million campaign grant, a crucial step before he can begin significant advertising in advance of the Aug. 11 primary contest with Gov. Ned Lamont.
Elliott filed his application last Friday, but it was not deemed ready for action time for the State Elections Enforcement Commission meeting Wednesday. SEEC must determine if Elliott has raised the requisite $335,500 to qualify under the terms of the Citizens’ Election Program.
SEEC’s next scheduled meeting is June 25, but Elliott says he’s been told action will be taken July 2. Lamont, who has largely self-funded his campaigns, has opted out of the voluntary public financing program.
— Mark Pazniokas, Capitol Bureau Chief
Murphy reintroduces bills addressing loneliness
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy is reigniting his push to address what he views as a growing epidemic: loneliness and social isolation. The Connecticut Democrat reintroduced bills to address it. One would create the Office of Social Connection Policy to operate within the White House. Another would provide grant funding for community-based organizations that focus on elderly and disabled communities.
Murphy argues the government has a role to play “to understand why people feel so angry and alone, and to create a culture and an economy that encourages more social connection.”
He’s spent the last several years talking about the issue, and explores it at length in his latest book.
— Lisa Hagen, Federal Policy Reporter
Lamont releases new brownfields funding
Connecticut’s push to remediate blight and redevelop once contaminated sites got a new infusion of cash on Wednesday, with the governor announcing an additional $15.2 million in funding for the effort.
The money will go toward several projects, covering more than 260 acres in the state. The sites are in East Hartford, Hamden, New Britain and Norwalk, among other locations.
The effort to fix and reuse the contaminated sites, known as brownfields, has become a flagship initiative for the Lamont administration. Since announcing the effort, the administration has poured more than $200 million into the program in the hopes of creating more affordable housing and commercial space in the state.
— P.R. Lockhart, Economic Development Reporter
Solar developer to build on four landfills
The Connecticut-based solar developer Verogy announced Tuesday that it had begun construction of four new solar arrays on top of landfills in Mansfield, Morris, Somers and Suffield.
Landfills have become a popular location to place solar arrays due their lack of public opposition and abundant sunlight. Solar facilities currently sit atop capped landfills in Hartford and New Haven.
The combined output of all four facilities will be around 5.8 megawatts, Verogy said, enough to power 738 homes. The project received incentives through Connecticut’s Non-Residential Renewable Energy Solutions, or NRES, program.
— John Moritz, Energy and Environment Reporter
CSCU names consultants reviewing harassment case
The Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Board of Regents selected Grand River Solutions to independently review the school’s handling of a sexual harassment complaint against former Interim Chancellor John Maduko.
Maduko resigned in April. A female employee accused him of prolonged harassment over a two-year period and suggested former board chair Marty Guay may have threatened her job if she didn’t stay silent. Guay resigned in May.
The review will assess CSCU’s response to the complaint and its hiring process for chancellors. The last permanent chancellor also resigned in the wake of questions about his spending. An initial report is due June 30.
— Theo Peck-Suzuki, Education Reporter
CT’s first measles case of 2026
The Connecticut Department of Public Health on Monday announced it had confirmed a case of measles in an unvaccinated Hartford County adult who recently returned from international travel. The resident began exhibiting symptoms after returning of fever, sore throat, cough, runny nose, diarrhea and rash.
There have already been more than 2,000 measles cases confirmed nationwide this year, putting the country on track to exceed the 2,288 cases reported in 2025. Connecticut has had two positive measles cases in the past five years — both unvaccinated adults who had just returned from traveling internationally.
— Katy Golvala, Health Reporter
A Long Island Sound bridge? Fazio is just curious
State Sen. Ryan Fazio of Greenwich, the Republican nominee for governor, attended the press conference promoting construction of a bridge across Long Island Sound from the island to Bridgeport on Monday. Endorsement? No, he said his presence “signifies curiosity.”
“Studying something of this magnitude is worthwhile and any study needs to be objective and careful,” Fazio said.
— Mark Pazniokas, Capitol Bureau Chief
Rural health transformation project
The state Department of Social Services now has nine full-time staff members managing the state’s Rural Health Transformation Program, a five-year federal initiative passed as part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” Connecticut received $154 million for the first year of the program to invest in improving rural healthcare and access.
Recently, DSS RHTP staff have been meeting with providers and residents in the northeastern and northwestern parts of the state. The agency will be holding town halls in Windham and Putnam on June 30. Residents can reach out to traci.norman@ct.gov for more information.
— Katy Golvala, Health Reporter
Lamont files complaint over utility profits
Lamont announced last week his administration had filed a complaint with federal regulators over Eversource and United Illuminating, charging customers for participating in the regional transmission organization ISO-New England.
Lamont said the charge, which amounts to $4.5 million a year, violates a law he signed in 2025 requiring the utilities to join ISO-NE. In practice, both utilities were already members and received incentives from federal regulators for their voluntary participation.
In a statement, Lamont argued those incentives are no longer proper or legal. “Utilities with record profits should not receive bonus profits for doing something they are required to do by law,” Lamont said.
Eversource spokeswoman Jamie Ratliff defended the company’s investments in transmission infrastructure and said the loss of the incentives related to ISO-New England would save customers about 9 cents a month, or less than $1 a year.
— John Moritz, Energy and Environment Reporter
Working Families Party endorsements
The Connecticut Working Families Party has endorsed Rep. Maryam Khan, D-Windsor, in the three-way primary race for the Hartford senate seat now held by Sen. Doug McCrory. Khan also beat McCrory for the Democratic Party’s formal endorsement.
Also receiving primary endorsements from the Working Families Party were Sen. Matt Lesser, D-Middletown; Rep. Jack Fazzino, D-Meriden; and newcomers Toni Lombardi, Moise Carelus and Angie Parkinson. The latter three work or have worked in the public school system.
All candidates were endorsed for their support of municipal public schools and opposition to “special interests seeking to divert resources” to private and charter schools.
— Theo Peck-Suzuki, Education Reporter
Finally, some personal news
Lamont abruptly postponed a press conference Tuesday due to what was tersely described as “a change in the Governor’s schedule.” It turns out he had a happy reason: The birth of his second grandchild, Lucy.
Huntress Lucy Lamont Landis was born at Stamford Hospital to the governor’s oldest daughter, Emily, who lives with her husband, Donny Landis, in Greenwich. Mother and daughter are fine, says the governor.
Huntress is maiden name of the first lady, Annie Lamont, and used as a middle name by Emily.
— Mark Pazniokas, Capitol Bureau Chief
