Hello, friends. Mike Cerulli here. Welcome back to this tradition unlike any other, the Tip Sheet from Tom Dudchik’s Capitol Report.

Ok, maybe not a tradition unlike any other. Political newsletters are practically a dime a dozen these days. But we’re still riding the excitement of Masters weekend!

This week, we’re breaking down Gov. Ned Lamont’s latest staff moves, the stiff competition to be the GOP candidate for lieutenant governor, predictions for the Republican and Democratic state conventions, and Josh Elliott’s latest fundraising haul.

Plus, have you ever seen a Ryan Fazio fancam? Well, you’re going to. Don’t know what that is? We will explain.

Let’s dive in…

Lamont brings in a new comms chief

Kevin Rennie once described Rob Blanchard as “a skilled practitioner of the takedown without fingerprints.”

That’s high praise coming from a man who himself has been dubbed “the South Windsor assassin.”

Whether or not Cathryn Vaulman will earn herself an equally distinctive moniker remains to be seen. Vaulman has been named as the new communications director in the office of Gov. Ned Lamont. She replaces Blanchard, who is now running full bore for the Fairfield-based State Senate seat being vacated by Tony Hwang.

Vaulman comes to the governor’s office by way of the private sector, where she’s worked in various roles at respected public affairs firms. Lamont has had a handful of comms directors during his seven years in office – each of them with a big personality and vision.

Blanchard’s predecessors include Max Reiss, who drove Lamont’s press strategy during the Covid-19 pandemic. That period saw the governor’s approval ratings soar to their current steady highs. After Reiss came the marketing whiz Anthony Anthony, who architected a new brand identity for Connecticut that has subsumed the governor’s own public image. Anthony was succeeded by Adam Joseph, another savvy politico whose mettle was forged in the gauntlets of the Senate Democratic Office, New Haven City Hall, and the office of Lieutenant Gov. Susan Bysiewicz.

The four men who preceded Vaulman were, in a sense, part of the same continuum. At various points, they have all worked for, above, or beside one another. Vaulman represents a departure from this lineage, and the governor expressed excitement for the change.

“What struck me most when first getting to know Cathryn was how quickly she understood what we’re trying to do here and who we’re trying to reach,” Lamont told the Tip Sheet. “Cathryn has built a career in the private sector doing exactly what we need done: cutting through the noise, connecting with real people, and making sure the right message lands the right way.”

Blanchard, however, won’t be departing the governor’s orbit. He’s taken on a senior role on the Lamont re-election campaign, which he’ll balance with his responsibilities as a candidate for office himself.

“He knows Connecticut, he understands the issues,” Lamont said of his longtime aide. “He understands how I think and how I communicate.”

Imagine that…understanding how Ned Lamont thinks.

Speaking of comms, have you ever seen a Ryan Fazio fancam?

As the governor embraces new communications leadership and new strategies, like this pithy short-form video, apparent admirers of him and one his opponents in the 2026 election are also exploring the frontier of political messaging.

If the TikTok algorithm has figured out you’re interested in Connecticut politics, you might have noticed an odd subgenre infiltrating your “For You Page.” Fancam-style posts featuring both Gov. Lamont and State Sen. Ryan Fazio have been finding a modest amount of success on the video-sharing platform.

For those not familiar, a fan edit or fancam describes a style of short-form video that splices together footage of a particular musician, actor, or athlete usually set to fast-paced music. Fans of a given celebrity create these posts to show their affection. In the past couple of years, political campaigns have been trying their hand at the genre.

Today, you can find a couple accounts pumping out Ryan Fazio fancams like this one. Another account has created a few Fazio edits that lean into the rhetoric and aesthetic of the “America First” wing of the conservative movement. One highlights an answer Fazio gave to Gen Z campaign gathering in Stamford when he was asked if he’d welcome support from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The account also posted an edit infused with old world nostalgia and urging followers to back Fazio.

Reject modernity, embrace tradition…if that’s your vibe.

As for Lamont’s appearances in fan-generated TikTok posts, those have mainly been limited to an even more niche subgenre of edits showcasing tongue-in-cheek state pride. These are somewhat hard to describe without delving into the multilayered complexities of meme-driven irony.

Take a look for yourself.

Ackert officially enters LG race

The widely-circulated rumors that State Rep. Tim Ackert was weighing a run for lieutenant governor were confirmed late last week when he officially filed paperwork to become a candidate. The Coventry legislator is now on a collision course with a fellow blue-collar military veteran: Matt Corey.

In the past couple weeks, a flurry of prominent Republicans – including the party leaders in both chambers of the legislature – have thrown their weight behind Corey’s effort.

In addition to House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora, the top echelon of Ackert’s own House Republican caucus have lined up in the Corey camp. Candelora’s two deputies, State Rep. Dave Rutigliano and State Rep. Tom O’Dea, were featured near the top of a list of endorsers trumpeted by Corey in a Sunday morning email blast to supporters.

Ackert’s entrance into the race is widely understood to have the backing of Erin Stewart and her gubernatorial campaign. He’s a vocal supporter of the former New Britain mayor and many in Stewart’s base believe the two would make a compelling ticket.

Capitol Report panel says Stewart holds delegate lead, Elliott will surpass 15%

We’re just about one month out from the Republican and Democratic state conventions, and speculation about which way the delegates are leaning is reaching fever pitch.

On yesterday’s edition of “Capitol Report” on News 8, two plugged-in Democrats agreed: State Rep. Josh Elliott has more than 15% support among delegates to next month’s convention.

“Absolutely,” the progressive organizer Eva Bermúdez Zimmerman said. She knows a thing or two about surprising a more established Democrat on the floor of a state convention.

Brandon McGee, who is backing the governor for another term, agreed with that analysis. He served in a senior role on Lamont’s 2022 re-election campaign and currently works in the governor’s administration.

There was also consensus on the Republican side of the “Capitol Report” panel. Liz Kurantowicz and John McKinney both said they believe Stewart holds the delegate lead over Fazio.

“I think that Erin wins the convention,” Kurantowicz, a longtime Republican campaign strategist, said.

Kurantowicz added that she believes Matt Corey will snag the endorsement on the convention floor and that Fazio will win the August primary.

“I agree with that,” McKinney, who ran for governor in 2014, replied. “And Betsy McCaughey does not get 15%.”

15% is the threshold to trigger a primary.

McCaughey’s latest fundraising numbers show she’s far behind her two opponents, both of whom have already passed the threshold to qualify for public financing. She raised a total of $82,000 in the most recent fundraising quarter. Of that, $20,000 came from her own pocket.

Elliott posts his first six-figure haul

It’s been a promising stretch of weeks for State Rep. Josh Elliott and his ambitious campaign against Gov. Lamont.

The governor’s sole Democratic challenger posted his best fundraising quarter yet, hauling in around $119,000. He’s still a long way off from reaching the public financing threshold and has fundraised at a slower rate than either of the two leading Republican candidates. But the six-figure haul represents a dramatic improvement over previous quarters.

“From the left, Josh Elliott pumps up his challenge to Ned Lamont,” a Mark Pazniokas headline reads.

Kevin Rennie, the aforementioned “South Windsor assassin,” noted that among Elliott’s new donors is the former state utility regulator Marissa Gillett. She made the maximum donation to the campaign against the man who publicly defended her for months.

“Ingratitude” was the word Rennie chose to describe the donation.

Also among the donors to Elliott’s campaign: New Haven Democratic Town Committee (DTC) chairman Vin Mauro.

Mauro’s DTC recently hosted the governor and will host Elliott in the coming weeks. The recently re-elected chairman also hosted another gubernatorial candidate this past weekend, albeit one from another state. Mauro and Mayor Justin Elicker lended a helping hand to the campaign of Shenna Bellows, Maine’s secretary of state, who is running to fill the office being vacated by the term-limited Democratic Gov. Jannet Mills. Bellows and Elicker are both alums of Middlebury College in Vermont.

Congrats, Senator and Mrs. Sampson!

State Sen. Rob Sampson was married this weekend in a ceremony attended by friends, family, and many of the state’s top Republicans.

What better way to begin the home stretch of the legislative session than with the wedding of the man who defines much of the debating in those last few hours before the final gavel falls?

All the best to the bride and groom!

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