Good morning and welcome back to the Tip Sheet, a weekly newsletter from Tom Dudchik’s Capitol Report written by Mike Cerulli.

This week, we’re discussing a shakeup in the governor’s office and the first official move of the 2026 gubernatorial election.

Plus, two lawmakers took to TikTok to talk about Connecticut’s Trust Act. Which post performed better – and what does that say about the use of social media by politicians?

Let’s dive in…

Blanchard is back. Does that mean Ned is in for ‘26?

It’s been the worst-kept secret in the Capitol for more than a month: Rob Blanchard is heading back to the governor’s office.

Speculation about Blanchard’s next move began almost as soon as it became clear that his energetic campaign to unseat incumbent Republican State Sen. Tony Hwang had fallen more than 5,000 votes short. An appearance late last year at a holiday Christmas party attended by other current and former Lamont staffers caused even more buzz.

Last week, those persistent rumors turned into reality when Matt Brokman, the governor’s chief of staff, sent an email to commissioners and agency heads announcing that Blanchard would assume the role of director of communications. Friday was his first day on the job.

You can view the email, which was obtained by the Tip Sheet’s author, here.

Brokman’s email also outlined the roles of two other senior staffers on Gov. Lamont’s communications team. Julia Bergman will remain in her role as director of media relations, coordinating messaging across the sprawling landscape of state agencies. Mellaney Castro, one of the governor’s closest aides, will assume the role of director of executive operations. Brokman wrote that this new job will focus on “working to manage the Governor’s calendar, plan events and other operations of the executive office.”

Blanchard has operated in and around Connecticut Democratic politics for more than a decade. His career began with an organizing gig on Dan Malloy’s 2010 campaign and has included stints with George Jepsen, Ted Kennedy Jr., and Sean Scanlon. He served as political director for Lamont’s 2018 campaign and as deputy communications director in the first two years of the governor’s first term.

In bringing back a trusted confidant with deep experience as a campaign operative, Lamont has ignited a fresh wave of speculation surrounding his intentions for 2026. Regardless of Lamont’s plans, Blanchard’s return likely portends a more assertive communications strategy. As Kevin Rennie once described in his distinct style, Blanchard is “a skilled practitioner of the takedown without fingerprints.”

Stewart readies a “special announcement”

She hasn’t said it officially yet, but campaign paperwork filed last week strongly suggested what many have long assumed: Erin Stewart is getting ready to run for governor.

The 37-year old New Britain mayor officially formed an exploratory committee called Erin26.

An email to supporters promised a “special announcement” from Stewart on Monday inside New Britain City Hall. 

On the same day news of her exploratory campaign became public, Stewart was in the ballroom of the Holiday Inn in Norwich for a fundraiser for Grassroots East, a Republican PAC focused on the 2nd congressional district. The six-term mayor delivered the event’s keynote address – though she opted to keep her remarks brief after a crowded speaker lineup pushed the proceedings later than expected.

In her remarks, Stewart hinted at her upcoming announcement and also made strong overtures to the need for Republicans to select electable candidates – perhaps someone with experience winning in a Democratic city – in future elections.

"We have to build a party infrastructure for success now and work to nominate strong candidates that can win – because winning is everything,” Stewart said. 

The crowd in Norwich was something of a “who’s who” of Connecticut Republican politics. Among the crowd: State Sen. Steve Harding, State Rep. Vin Candelora, State Rep. Joe Polletta, State Rep. Greg Howard, State Rep. Doug Dubitsky, State Rep. Devin Carney, State Rep. Kurt Vail, State Rep. Steve Weir, State Rep. Tim Ackert, and a hodgepodge of other party insiders.

State Sen. Heather Somers, another potential 2026 contender, was also in the crowd.

Speaking with News 8, Somers said she hadn’t made a decision on whether or not to run in 2026 – but that didn’t stop her from delivering a pitch.

“I haven’t made any decisions at this point but if I did decide to move forward, I think I bring a breath of fresh air,” Somers said before listing her experience in the private sector, as mayor of Groton, and in the legislature. “If I decide to do something, it’s a resume that’s really unmatched.”

Somers has been rumored as a potential rival to Stewart in the GOP gubernatorial contest or as a candidate for the state’s 2nd congressional district. She has not yet filed any paperwork.

The TikTok beat: Howard’s “Next Episode”

At a glance, you might not think State Rep. Greg Howard, a 23-year police veteran from Stonington, would be a big fan of Dr. Dre. But Howard might just be the newest addition to Dre’s legion of loyal listeners after the House Republicans’ crack digital team used the Compton native’s “The Next Episode” to score a TikTok that captured nearly 200,000 impressions.

Howard’s TikTok was relatively straightforward. It featured a 15-second soundbite of Howard speaking on a Republican proposal to amend Connecticut’s Trust Act. The soundbite dissolves into the iconic opening tones of “The Next Episode” while the screen freezes on Howard and cartoon sunglasses fall onto his face – a political spin on a classic meme format.

The House Republicans have only been on TikTok since the beginning of the 2025 legislative session, but they’ve quickly found success. As of Sunday evening, they already have more followers than the Senate Democrats, who have been posting on TikTok for nearly three years.

On the Democratic side, it is individual members, rather than caucus accounts, who have found the most success.

State Rep. Matt Blumenthal posted his own video on the Trust Act that garnered more than 35,000 impressions.

As we’ve written about extensively in the Tip Sheet, the adoption of TikTok as a platform for political communication can be viewed as an indicator for an elected official’s ability to adapt to the rapidly-changing media landscape. Even with an uncertain future in Washington, folks on both sides of the aisle seem to be catching on to the power of the platform.

We’ll be back next week.