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.
Bronin gets help promoting campaign
Impact CT, an independent-expenditure group chaired by former New Haven Mayor Toni Harp, is running digital ads and paying for direct mail in support of former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin’s campaign to unseat Congressman John B. Larson in the 1st Congressional District.
The ads and mailer are positive pieces, making the case for generational change in the days before the Democratic primary on Aug. 11. Neither mention Larson, the 78-year incumbent seeking a 15th term. Impact typically focuses on General Assembly campaigns, but it did spend money promoting U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-5th District, in the general election two years ago.
— Mark Pazniokas, Capitol Bureau Chief
CT delegation supports more war power votes
The House and Senate took separate votes this week on war powers resolutions to rein in the war in Iran. Democrats have forced votes multiple times since the start. Most have failed, though recent attempts have been more successful, albeit mostly symbolic.
For a second time, the House voted to end the hostilities as the U.S. ramps up strikes and oil prices surge. All Democrats backed it, including Connecticut’s delegation, and four Republicans. But later that day, the Senate blocked consideration of its own war powers vote. Speaking from the floor, Sen. Chris Murphy argued that the administration “has not achieved a single war goal.”
— Lisa Hagen, Federal Policy Reporter
Work stacks up for Congress post-recess
The House left town Thursday for its monthlong recess — and the Senate will follow in early August. They’ll return to a lengthy to-do list of must-pass bills.
House Republicans passed a short-term government funding bill well before the deadline. Most Democrats were opposed, including Connecticut’s delegation. Rep. Rosa DeLauro warned there are issues regarding Border Patrol in the current version.
They’ll also need to tackle compromise legislation on the annual defense policy bill. The House passed its bill and attached the SAVE America Act to it. That led Democrats like Rep. Joe Courtney to oppose it, though he noted the wins for Connecticut’s defense industry.
— Lisa Hagen, Federal Policy Reporter
As protective status expiration looms, Haitian TPS holders could be pulled out of CT workforce
On Monday, work permits and legal status expires for some 350,000 Haitian Temporary Protected Status program holders in the U.S. — including roughly 5,000 living in Connecticut. The expiration will impact a significant portion of Haitian communities in Bridgeport, New London and Norwich.
The end of Temporary Protected Status, which provides a lifeline for immigrant populations fleeing political violence and environmental disasters, could also affect the state’s economy more broadly, pulling people out of the workforce as unemployment rises and Connecticut’s labor force continues to shrink. Estimates suggest that some 100 Haitian caregivers could be affected by the decision, reducing the number of nursing home workers amid larger struggles to support aging communities in the state.
A 2025 report from DataHaven found that immigrant workers are vital to the state’s economy, helping offset population declines and working in several key industries, including agriculture, healthcare, and early childhood education.
— P.R. Lockhart, Economic Development Reporter
Report condemns “extorted compliance”
The Trump administration has developed a reputation in higher ed: It withholds federal funding from universities for alleged discrimination, then extracts wide-ranging concessions.
The practice is what the American Association of University Professors called “governance by extortion” in a scathing report released Wednesday. They argued the administration uses civil rights compliance as a pretext for taking government control over higher education.
The report comes weeks after news broke that Yale University is considering a settlement with the Trump administration. Students and faculty have called on university to reject any agreement that involves concessions like those made at peers like Columbia.
— Theo Peck-Suzuki, Education Reporter
CT puts $10M towards rural infrastructure
The Lamont administration is pouring $10 million into rural transportation infrastructure, providing funding to projects that are often ineligible for money from the federal government.
The money, announced on Thursday, will come from the third round of the state’s Transportation Rural Improvement Program (TRIP). Established in 2022, the program is administered by the Department of Transportation and has awarded $30 million to 27 projects.
Nine projects will get funding in this round, including more than $1.9 million for road intersection drainage and surface reclamation in Chaplin; $1.85 million for community access corridor rehabilitation in North Canaan, and more than $850,000 for sidewalk and trail construction in Haddam.
— P.R. Lockhart, Economic Development Reporter