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

Dan Hurley’s Huskies are championship-bound!

The eyes of the whole state will be fixed on Indianapolis this evening.

Here in Connecticut, we’re breaking down what Luke Bronin said in his first TV advertisement. Plus, a big name just entered the race for what will likely be an open state House seat.

Let’s dive in…

Bronin’s first TV ad goes live

Luke Bronin went up on the airwaves this past weekend with the first television advertisement in the blockbuster fight for the 1st Congressional District.

His ad is titled “The Stakes” and it aired during both of the Final Four games UConn’s teams played in. The 30-second spot (which you can watch here) highlights Bronin’s biography and introduces voters to the thesis of the 46-year-old’s campaign: that Rep. John Larson’s time has passed.

“I’m a proud Democrat,” Bronin says direct-to-camera. “But let’s face it, we’ve gotta get some new energy in this party.”

That line and those that follow echo what Bronin has been telling 1st District Democrats in Democratic Town Committee meetings, at protests, and on social media.

“John Larson is a good man,” Bronin says. “But he’s been in Congress since the 90s.”

As Bronin delivers that line, a photo – presented on a retro Polaroid frame – of Larson and President Bill Clinton flashes across the screen. It’s an interesting choice given that Clinton has historically been one of the most Democratic Party’s most popular figures and sought-after campaign surrogates. But Bronin’s theory of the case rests largely on the idea that the base of the party is ready to move on from that era. Clinton’s own image has been battered by the revelation of his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

The ad featured a photo of another former Democratic president, Barack Obama, during the overview of Bronin’s professional credentials.

Aside from a broad gesture to a need for “big changes,” the spot was devoid of any mentions of policy. The purpose of this ad, the Bronin camp said, is to introduce voters to the former mayor and lay the table stakes of the race.

Corey locks up key endorsements in quest to be GOP’s LG candidate

To date, there is only one notable Republican who is a declared candidate for the party’s nomination for lieutenant governor: Matt Corey.

A Navy veteran and blue-collar entrepreneur, Corey is a known quantity to the conservative grassroots in Connecticut. He twice carried the GOP banner against Sen. Chris Murphy, most recently in 2024. In that cycle, Corey upset the party’s endorsed candidate in the primary election.

This year, Corey will arrive at the state party convention with the support of the two highest ranking elected Republicans in Connecticut. House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora and Senate Minority Leader Steve Harding both threw their support behind Corey late last week. State Sen. Rob Sampson followed suit shortly after.

The endorsements signal strength for Corey and likely complicate any efforts by the gubernatorial candidates to anoint a running mate of their choosing. Candelora’s support is particularly notable given the widely-circulated rumors that State Rep. Tim Ackert, who has filed for re-election to his house seat, is weighing a run for lieutenant governor aligned with Erin Stewart.

A Lauretti jumps in the race for Romano’s seat

The Tip Sheet first reported several weeks ago that State Rep. Amy Romano, a freshman Republican from Shelton elected last year in a special election, was one of the legislators understood to be declining to run for another term.

Romano has not yet announced her plans, but she has not filed for re-election and multiple sources say they expect her to step aside.

Within Shelton, word of Romano’s impending departure has drawn a prominent name into the race. Joe Lauretti, one of Mayor Mark Lauretti’s sons, opened a campaign last week. According to his LinkedIn, the younger Lauretti is a 2018 alum of Central Connecticut State University and currently works at Pratt & Whitney.

Bryan Lizotte, a Democratic alderman, has also filed to run in the Republican-favoring district.

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