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 looking at a flurry of activity that took place last week: two vetoes, a political earthquake in New York City, and rumors of a new entrant into the race for governor.

But first…

A salute to the chief

Before we get into the news of the week, I wanted to take a moment to switch into the first person and say a few words about WTNH’s former chief political correspondent, Mark Davis.

Mark passed away last week. To say that he left an indelible mark on Connecticut politics would be an understatement. For four decades, Mark informed the people of our state with poise, discernment, and a tenacity that elicited equal parts fear and respect from those in power.

Mark’s questioning of our state’s leaders was unyielding. His plainspoken, conversational broadcasting style cut through the noise of politics and helped the everyman make sense of the machinations of the Capitol.

It’s almost cliche to say that news isn’t what it used to be. When people ask me about the future of the news business, I often find myself at a loss for words. The public has migrated away from traditional channels of distribution and mainstream outlets have struggled to adapt. The newer operations that have cropped up to fill that void have found varying degrees of success. All news outlets, old and new, still confront with a broad loss of trust that seems impossible to repair.

Whatever the future of the news business holds, I think it’s safe to say that the public yearns for journalists like Mark Davis. Mark stood as an example of what news can be at its best.

WTNH put together a wonderful story on Mark’s work and legacy, narrated by the legendary Ann Nyberg. You can watch that tribute here.

With that, let’s dive in…

The Fazio Factor

For a few weeks now, the rumor has spread through the ranks of Connecticut’s Republican insiders: Ryan Fazio is considering a run for governor.

Fazio himself confirmed the rumors to columnist Dan Haar last Tuesday.

Should he choose to enter the race, Fazio may very well upend the assumptions many have made about the GOP nominating contest. Prior to last week, the conventional wisdom advised that only a challenger from the right could pose a serious challenge to Erin Stewart. New Britain’s Republican mayor’s exploratory campaign has taken an early lead in fundraising and she’s usually considered the presumptive frontrunner in a field that so far includes one declared candidate, Westport First Selectwoman Jen Tooker, and one other exploratory candidate, Peter Lumaj.

Fazio represents something new in the field of potential GOP contenders. He's largely avoided being pigeonholed into one wing of the conservative movement. He withstood hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of attacks in last year's election, winning in communities that saw Democrats dominate at the top of the ballot. In Haar’s piece, Rob Sampson and Vinny Candelora both heaped praise on Fazio.

Behind the scenes, Fazio appears to be engaged with political consultants who once worked with former Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker – a man who defied the political odds in a deep blue state.

Fazio has said he’ll make the final call on running sometime this summer.

For progressives, Lamont’s Cuomo endorsement poured salt on an open wound

The rifts between Gov. Ned Lamont and the progressive wing of the Democratic Party have hardly been a secret. The intraparty divides defined the budget negotiations that played out earlier this year, and a volley of exchanges that took place last week prove those conflicts are far from over.

Lamont drew heavy fire from his left flank when he vetoed two progressive priorities: a bill providing unemployment benefits to striking workers and an omnibus housing bill.

Labor groups and many legislators were furious.

“This veto sends a clear message,” Ed Hawthorne, Connecticut’s AFL-CIO president, said. “Gov. Lamont is more concerned with protecting corporate profits than supporting the working people who make our economy run.”

Then, at the Monday press conference announcing his vetoes, Lamont said he supported former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary election for mayor of New York City.

The reactions to Lamont’s support of Cuomo were similarly sharp, albeit less public than the outcry elicited by his vetoes. 

“I am both disappointed and disgusted that the governor of the state of Connecticut would endorse Andrew Cuomo,” State Rep. Jillian Gilchrest, an outspoken progressive, said.

The one-two punch of the vetoes followed by the Cuomo endorsement left many progressives wondering what their next steps are heading into next year’s election. Zohran Mamdani’s shock win over Cuomo in the New York primary inspired many on the left, but the feasibility of challenging Lamont, should he choose to run again, is less clear.

By any measure, Lamont is a strong incumbent. He has high approval ratings and vast personal wealth that detaches him from some of the political incentives that others in his position might be more responsive to. The balance of power within Connecticut’s Democratic coalition has shifted markedly toward suburbs in recent years, and Lamont’s moderation seems to play well there.

Nonetheless, the outcome of the New York race proves that sometimes conventional wisdom can be defied. After Mamdani’s win, State Rep. Josh Elliott vowed to Hearst’s Alex Putterman that Lamont would not run unopposed.

New leadership in CT’s youth political scene

He’s a familiar face to almost every political insider. As of this past weekend, he’s also the president of the Young Democrats of Connecticut.

Alan Cunningham was elected to lead the youth arm of the state’s Democratic Party this past weekend. Cunningham, 24, is best known as the bodyman for Gov. Ned Lamont. He’s by the governor’s side at almost every public appearance – lending a helping hand, open ears, and more than a few diet ginger ales to his boss. After several weeks of internal strife in the lead up to the leadership election, Cunningham now finds himself the reins of an organization that has long suffered from infighting.

The Middletown native is one of the state’s sharpest Gen Z operatives. His day job as special assistant to the governor has given him insights that none of his peers can boast.

The great Ted Mann once wrote a profile of the so-called “Malloyalists” who surrounded Lamont’s predecessor. The description Mann wrote of Arielle Reich, one of Malloy’s closest aides, could very well apply to Cunningham.

“Someone has to read his moods, to hand him his briefing papers, to manage the torrent of phone calls and calendar updates as the Lincoln bombs down Route 2 or 8,” Mann wrote of Reich. “This means she's always working, almost always, when he works. They growl at each other – they're sick of it, they don't want to deal with this parade or that night event.”

On the other side of the aisle, a former head of the Connecticut Young Republicans is moving into a new role with the state party. Matthew Carrier will join the party in a role overseeing the day-to-day alongside the party’s small team led by the newly-reelected chair, Ben Proto.

Like Cunningham, Carrier has a reputation as a sharp operator with skills beyond his years. As Carrier comes on board, the state party will lose another talented Gen Zer, Jack Martorano. 

An alum of Fairfield University, Martorano had a meteoric rise from intern to deputy executive director and ultimately executive director of the state party. As Proto’s right hand, Martorano built relationships with the party’s grassroots. At the state central committee meeting where members ok’d Proto for another term as chair, Martorano was sent off with a standing ovation and a teasing remark from Proto, who described him as a true “Jack of all trades.”

Even when you leave, you never really leave, Proto reminded him.

Martorano is heading south to George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School this fall.

Wedding szn

It was a weekend of celebration for several Connecticut political power players. Megan Krementowski and Joe Cooper tied the knot in the company of friends and family down in North Carolina. Cooper is a member of the well-regarded comms team at the state’s Department of Transportation. Krementowski is a key member of the governor’s legislative team. 

Tucker Salls and Rebecca Schultz were married this past weekend in a Granby ceremony. Salls is chairman of Simsbury’s Democratic party. He serves dual roles within Connecticut’s Military Department. As a civilian, he is a legislative and communications manager for the department. One weekend a month, Lt. Salls commands soldiers in the Army National Guard.

Salls is also one hell of a Dungeons and Dragons player.

Congrats to all!

We’ll be back next week with another edition of the Tip Sheet!