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Gov. Ned Lamont gave his eighth State of the State address this week, uttering almost 3,500 words — more than the 2,847 words his annual speeches have averaged over the years.

Each year, the words “Connecticut,” “state,” “year” and “budget” come up most frequently in these speeches. Aside from these, “housing” was one of the most-said words this year, coming up 25 times in a combination of positive and constructive statements. Lamont touted initiatives across the state to build more homes, especially in New London and the Naugatuck Valley, but said the state still has “a long way to go.”

These references to housing are not new. In Lamont’s 2024 address, housing was the top word in his speech, which began by describing the lack of affordable and available homes in Connecticut. Lamont made very similar references in his 2023 address, where the word was mentioned five times.

Lamont signed a controversial housing bill into law in November after vetoing a similar bill during the 2025 legislative session. The bill aims to address affordable housing needs.

Lamont said the word “cost” or “costs” 17 times this year, referring multiple times to heightened prices due to federal changes in some social services benefits. In his 2025 speech, “cost” was said 18 times, some in a more positive light, and some urging lawmakers to push their cost-saving initiatives through.

However, the 2025 address also referenced to the uncertainty of the then-incoming Trump administration — including rumored health care subsidy cutbacks and increasing costs that are now a reality for some Connecticut residents.

Lamont’s 2019 address — his first one — might be one of the most hopeful he gave. That speech quoted the musical “Hamilton” more than once and set out Lamont’s hopes for the coming years, including getting the budget back on track, revitalizing the economy through numerous transportation and affordability initiatives, and adding to the workforce.

In the speech with its sights set on the future, Lamont said the word “student” 11 times, talking about the optimism and hope he gleaned from students in schools he visited. The speech also looked into Connecticut’s innovative contributions to the world and investments Lamont hoped to make in his coming years as governor.

Other words like energy, school, family and business come up often in Lamont’s addresses, with numerous mentions to economy boosting and school improvements throughout the years.

Sasha is a data reporting fellow with The Connecticut Mirror. She graduated from the University of Maryland in May with a degree in journalism and a minor in creative writing. For the past year Sasha was working part time for the Herald-Mail, a newspaper based in Western Maryland. She was also a reporter and copy editor for Capital News Service, the university’s wire service where she covered the state legislature, the Baltimore Key Bridge collapse, school board elections, youth mental health and climate change. Earlier in her college career, Sasha also interned at the Baltimore Magazine and wrote for numerous student publications including the Diamondback, the university’s independent, student-run newspaper.