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’ll tell you about the potential Republican candidate in the Fifth Congressional District. Plus, we’ll take a look at the latest developments in the race for the First Congressional District.

Let’s dive in…

A frogman eyes the Fifth District

For months, Republican insiders have quietly wondered if a viable candidate will emerge in the Fifth Congressional District. Two unsuccessful runs by George Logan, a former state senator, attracted significant national attention and spending – but Republicans were left disappointed in both elections.

Logan fell to incumbent Congresswoman Jahana Hayes in 2022 by less than 2,000 votes and lost by more than 20,000 votes in 2024.

Now, multiple Republican power players tell the Tip Sheet that Chris Shea, a former Navy SEAL and nonprofit executive, is preparing a run for the seat.

“He’s as serious as the mission to take out bin Laden,” one senior Republican said of Shea’s interest in the race.

Shea’s service history includes time deployed alongside the Naval Special Warfare Development Group – the official name for the unit more commonly known as SEAL Team 6. More recently, the Watertown native has served as a North Haven firefighter and head of a nonprofit that helps veterans transition into civilian first responder roles.

There are already two Republicans who are seeking their party’s nomination – Jonathan De Barros and Michele Botelho – though neither have generated the type of fundraising that’s likely required to seriously contest a Democrat-held seat in a blue state.

Hayes reported having more than $860,000 on hand at the end of the most recent fundraising quarter.

The campaign arm of the House Republicans did not include the Fifth District on their list of target districts released earlier this year.

As for Shea, the senior Republican who spoke to the Tip Sheet said simply, “He’ll have the resources.”

The Republican source pointed to the growing ranks of Navy SEALs in Congress, which Politico recently profiled in an article titled “How the Navy SEALs Conquered Congress.” The source also noted the expansive network of veteran SEALs, many of whom have become high earners in the private sector.

“SEALs support SEALs,” the Republican source said.

The source said to expect to hear more from Shea in the new year.

Fight for the First: Larson takes The Grey Lady to Augie & Ray’s while Bronin touts new endorsements

As far as the Tip Sheet knows, there are two menu items named after Connecticut politicos. The Trinity Bar in New Haven serves “Vin Mauro’s wings,” and Augie & Ray’s in East Hartford dishes out “The John Larson” breakfast sandwich.

(If you happen to know of others, drop us a line.)

It was the sandwich named in honor of Larson that caught the attention of the New York Times reporter Annie Karni when she travelled to the First Congressional District for a story on Larson.

“As Democrats Look to a New Generation, John Larson Hangs On,” the headline reads.

The story describes a vibrant and energetic Larson locked in a primary fight that gets at the core of the post-2024 debates Democrats have been having among themselves.

Karni also wrote about the race’s unique dynamics, citing sources who said that Larson’s most well-known challenger, Luke Bronin, isn’t “necessarily the more progressive choice.”

One notable scene reported by Karni recounted a recent Washington fundraiser held by Bronin. Alejandro Mayorkas and Jon Finer, both alums of the Biden administration, were reportedly in attendance.

Meanwhile, Bronin has been stacking up endorsements from key Democratic Town Committee chairs in Wethersfield, Windsor, Rocky Hill, and Berlin.

“Their endorsements today reflect the same sentiment that I’ve been hearing from so many active Democrats across the district – that while we respect John Larson, it’s time for new leadership in the Democratic Party,” Bronin said in a statement.

Tong ups digital game with new hire

In the arena of direct-to-camera, short-form video, William Tong is the clear clubhouse leader among Connecticut’s constitutional officers. Some of his videos have garnered hundreds of thousands of views, and his office just brought in a new digital director to spearhead those efforts.

Janice Yu, a former reporter with ABC7 in New York, joined the AG’s office to replace outgoing comms pro Rick Funaro. Yu did stints working for TV stations in Texas, Arizona, and Georgia before spending three years in the city reporting for the crown jewel of ABC’s owned and operated network.

That’s all for this week! We’ll be back next week with another edition of the Tip Sheet.