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 breaking news of a big merger in the state’s public affairs industry. Plus, Jen Tooker is the first declared candidate for governor in the 2026 cycle. She made her statewide television debut this past weekend. How did she do? And what about Erin Stewart? She’s boasting about her fundraising numbers and has lined up an array of public supporters.

And finally, grassroots Democrats are in a fighting mood. Chris Murphy and William Tong have been two of the most outspoken Connecticut Democrats – with Murphy emerging as a national leader of the anti-Trump coalition. But another Connecticut Democrat has been taking the fight to the Trump administration, too.

Let’s dive in.

McDowell, Mandell, and Durand join forces with new public affairs powerhouse

Two of Connecticut’s most well-known and influential public relations firms are merging. Duby McDowell’s McDowell Communications Group is merging with Intersect Public Solutions, the firm founded by Brian Durand and Michael Mandell. The new entity will operate under the Intersect banner with McDowell serving as a partner.

“We’re now bringing together two firms with deep Connecticut roots, a shared commitment to excellence, and a track record of delivering results,” McDowell said. “I’m excited about what we’ll accomplish together.”

McDowell was a political reporter for NBC Connecticut before founding her firm in 2006. Mandell and Durand are both seasoned political operatives. Mandell ran the operations of the state Democratic Party and Durand served as chief of staff for Gov. Dan Malloy. For McDowell, the merger marks the latest in a storied media career that has seen her transition from a prime gig in front of the camera to a leading role shaping the narrative from behind the scenes. For Durand and Mandell, the merger comes at a time when comms professionals are rapidly adapting to a new media environment. In a morphing industry, growth can be a lifeline.

“With our combined experience, we are uniquely positioned to help clients navigate today’s fast-moving communications and policy landscape,” Durand said.

“Merging with McDowell Communications Group will give us the ability to offer a broader range of services while maintaining the personalized approach our clients trust,” Mandell added.

Close followers of Connecticut’s media scene will rejoice at the news that McDowell will continue to publish The Laurel. For those who are unfamiliar, The Laurel is the premier source for news on the state of Connecticut's news business. News of hirings, firings, and other industry scuttlebutt is broken first in the digital pages of The Laurel. The online publication borrows its name from The Laurel Club, a 20th century organization of state politics reporters.

Jen Tooker’s big debut

Westport’s first selectwoman is the first candidate to officially declare their intentions to run for governor in 2026. Jen Tooker was on “This Week in Connecticut with Dennis House” on Sunday morning.

Some of the key takeaways from Tooker’s interview:

• No surprise here…she’s delivering an electability pitch. Tooker pointed to her electoral success in one of the state’s suburban Democratic strongholds. In 2021, she beat State Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, who has been representing Westport since 2011, in the race for first selectman.

• She’s touting her background in business. Tooker spent more than two decades in the state’s insurance industry. She was an executive at Gen Re, a Stamford-based reinsurance giant.

• She’ll utilize the state’s system of public campaign financing. There had been some inside speculation that Tooker might tap personal wealth to jumpstart her campaign, but she told House that she would be participating in the Citizens Election Program.

• She criticized Donald Trump. Tooker took a couple swipes at the president’s policies on Ukraine and tariffs while praising his emphasis on government efficiency. Her willingness to buck the president could prove to be a liability at a party convention or a contested primary.

Watch the full interview here.

Stewart nears $100k. Who is publicly backing her?

While Tooker has taken the leap and officially jumped into the race for governor, Erin Stewart is still ostensibly in the exploratory phase. But that’s not stopping her campaign from posting fundraising milestones and touting “public supporters.”

According to her campaign, Stewart has raised at least $89,000 so far. She needs to raise $350,000 to qualify for public campaign funds.

Stewart’s campaign website also touts public support from a number of Republican leaders. Now, the Stewart campaign stops short of using the word “endorsement” probably because the New Britain mayor hasn’t actually announced her candidacy for any specific office. How can someone endorse a campaign that doesn’t technically exist? But the statements of public support are unsubtle in their true meaning. She’s lining up support and it’s no secret where she’s got her sights set.

In the legislature, she has Tim Ackert, Devin Carney, Donna Veach, and Joe Hoxha publicly supporting her. Former state legislators George Logan, Gennaro Bizzarro, Lisa Seminara, and Robert Maddox are in her corner, too. The Republican Town Committee chairs of Waterbury, Danbury, Torrington, Simsbury, Brookfield, and Southbury are also among those who have thrown their support behind Stewart.

As Dems search for fighters, Mattei garners national attention

As Chris Murphy and William Tong emerge as two of Connecticut’s leading anti-Trump voices on the national stage, a onetime rival of Tong’s has been building a national media profile of his own.

Chris Mattei, a former federal prosecutor who ran for attorney general in 2018, has been making the rounds in the press as he takes on a new fight: representing FBI agents who are suing the Trump administration.

In recent weeks, Mattei has appeared on CNN and MSNBC. He’s also been in the pages of the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal.

Mattei and the firm he works for are no stranger to the national spotlight. His representation of the families of Sandy Hook victims captured headlines and was featured in a HBO documentary. He still lives in Hartford, where he counts Matt Ritter and other political power players as neighbors. Whether or not Mattei has any aspirations to seek public office again is unknown. But his media footprint has only grown in the years since his ill-fated primary campaign back in 2018 – during the first term of the president whose administration he is now battling in court.

We’ll be back next week!