by Mona Mahadevan The New Haven independent
New Haven DTC Chair Vincent Mauro Jr., who endorsed Lamont: The governor is a “steady hand on the wheel,” but he could afford to “get a little uncomfortable.”
Gubernatorial challenger Josh Elliott told a group of New Haven Democrats on Monday that Gov. Ned Lamont, a wealthy businessman and fellow Democrat, blocks progressive tax reform to protect “his friends.”
The Hamden state representative levied that accusation during a meeting of the New Haven Democratic Town Committee (DTC), held at the Betsy Ross Parish House on Kimberly Avenue.
“We have collectively built an economic model that is simply broken,” Elliott told the DTC. “My contention for this race is that somebody who makes $55 million a year in passive, generational banking income is not going to be the person that solves the problem.
Since launching his campaign in July, Elliott has cast Lamont as an out-of-touch incumbent and called for bolder action to address the affordability crisis. His criticism of the governor has sharpened in recent weeks as the Democratic state convention, set for May 16, fast approaches.
At the convention, over 2,000 delegates will decide whether to nominate Elliott, a progressive challenger, or Lamont, a two-term incumbent, for governor. New Haven will send 74 Democratic delegates to Hartford.
Two weeks ago, Lamont, the fourth most popular governor in the country, addressed a packed room of the New Haven DTC in his bid for a third four-year term. He pitched himself as a “progressive that gets stuff done,” pointing to his record of legalizing marijuana, raising the minimum wage, and expanding access to early childhood education. After that meeting, more than a dozen delegates told the Independent that they plan to vote for Lamont.
On Monday, far fewer DTC members gathered to hear Elliott’s pitch, and no one that spoke to the Independent was ready to endorse him. Even so, many were receptive to Elliott’s ambitious platform of increasing taxes on the wealthy, expanding the housing supply, and creating a public option for healthcare.
“A lot of what Josh said tonight resonates with me,” Mayor Justin Elicker, who endorsed Lamont on the first day of his reelection bid, told the Independent. He pointed specifically to Elliott’s support for reducing the school system’s reliance on property taxes.
Ward 18 Democratic Co-Chair Jeremy Jamilkowski said he appreciates how challengers like Elliott call attention to the influence of wealth in politics.
They “recognize that special interests, billionaires, and corporations have more say in government than the people, and some incumbent candidates play well in the sandbox of those interests,” he said.
In his pitch to New Haven Democrats, Elliott also criticized Lamont’s response to the Trump administration, calling for a bolder and louder stance.
“We are at an existential turning point in our nation’s history,” he said. “Every level of elected official has an obligation to stand up and be vocal about what’s happening.”
After Elliott’s remarks, Ward 26 Co-Chair Sharon Jones said she “more than likely” would vote for Lamont, in part because of his efforts to keep New Haven “a sanctuary city.”
Elicker, a vocal critic of Trump, acknowledged that he and Lamont have “very different styles in how we approach this moment.” At the same time, he views the governor as a “strong leader” that has helped New Haven weather federal funding cuts.
New Haven DTC Chair Vincent Mauro Jr. has endorsed Lamont, he told the Independent. More than standing up to Trump, he wants the governor to spend his political capital on taking bolder positions.
“When you’re at 60 percent in the polls, you’re allowed to make hard decisions, and people will give you the benefit of the doubt,” said Mauro. “I’m not asking [Lamont] to be somebody different. But when you’re at 60 percent, you can make one controversial decision and still be at 58 percent.”
On Monday, the DTC also heard pitches from Attorney General William Tong (pictured with DTC Chair Vincent Mauro Jr.), State Treasurer Erik Russell, State Comptroller Sean Scanlon, and Andrew Rice, a challenger to U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro.