Lamont's Closing Case: Medicaid Threat and Local Deliverables

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont is closing his campaign for a third term by pointing to what he says his administration has built locally, while warning about what he describes as federal cuts to Medicaid. Lamont faces Republican challenger Ryan Fazio in the Nov. 3 general election. The two are set for back-to-back appearances before about 700 nonprofit service providers at the Connecticut Convention Center.

At a Naugatuck ribbon-cutting on Monday, Lamont stood with Mayor N. Warren "Pete" Hess to mark 60 affordable apartments. Development at the site began in 2007. Hess thanked Lamont "from the bottom of my heart" for helping to bring the project to completion.

The event drew a bipartisan front row. U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro and two Democratic state senators attended alongside Republican state Reps. Arnold Jensen and Seth Bronko. Jensen, a retired engineer finishing his first term, said the project was bipartisan and that he did not feel his presence was used politically. "I think it's a fantastic fit for Naugatuck," he said.

Bronko, in his second term, said the timing of the opening, days before the election, was convenient. "I'd be lying if the thought didn't cross my mind," he said when asked if he thought he was used as a Lamont prop. He added that the project had been a bipartisan goal "on every level of state government for over a year" and that skipping it would not have been right.

Lamont then traveled to Wallingford for a Breast Cancer Awareness Month event at Hartford HealthCare's Midstate Radiology Associates. Dr. Manisha Juthani, commissioner of the state Department of Public Health, said the administration had funded 16,000 free mammograms in the last five years. Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz said that during Lamont's first term, insurers were required to expand coverage for breast cancer screenings with ultrasound.

The campaign released its final video ad of the season. In a 30-second spot, Lamont's voiceover says, "But what really makes Connecticut special is our people. We show up for each other. Help our neighbors. And when confronted with a challenge, we stick together."

At the convention center, Lamont's State Capitol office announced $19.5 million in nonprofit grants for capital improvements for health and human services agencies. The announcement came about a half-hour before Fazio's scheduled appearance. Federal spending changes signed in 2025, including work requirements, will affect Medicaid recipients in Connecticut after the election.

Lamont pointed to a $500 million relief fund approved last year with the General Assembly to address federal cuts. He said the state now provides free breakfast for all students in school. "It's shocking, what's going on right now. They're trying to play games with us and push, probably a billion dollars out of our Medicaid budget," Lamont said of the Trump administration.

Lamont said he would push for a law next year requiring large employers, including Amazon and Walmart, that do not provide health coverage for workers to pay the state up to $2,000 per worker. "We're going to raise a couple hundred million dollars," he said. "If you want my one big priority for the next four years, it is healthcare."

The General Assembly is scheduled to meet in regular session in February 2027.