CHICAGO — The soft campaigns for governor of Connecticut in 2026, or perhaps 2030, as well as positioning for potential presidential runs in 2032, are an ever-present subtext of a Democratic National Convention dedicated to the immediate goal of electing Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in 2024.
Gov. Ned Lamont, 70, approaching the midpoint of his second term with a high approval rating, leads a delegation that includes at least a half-dozen members interested in seeking his job some day, whether that is in 2026 or after a possible third term in 2030.
Three of them managed to be close to the governor and Congresswoman Jahana Hayes when they jointly cast Connecticut’s votes for Harris in a televised roll call Tuesday. Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz stood to their right; Attorney General William Tong and former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin to their left.
Tong had been the delegates’ host for lunch that day at a Cantonese restaurant not far from the Navy Pier and Lake Michigan. Anyone still hungry could get dessert back at the hotel hours later, courtesy of Bysiewicz and Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas.
On Monday, Treasurer Erick Russell and Comptroller Sean Scanlon had welcomed them at Lou Malnati’s, a Chicago pizza joint, for a slice and a pep talk from Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. Scanlon’s old boss, Sen. Chris Murphy, lined up Klobuchar when another VIP fell through.
“You know, when you get a text from Chris Murphy and he goes, ‘We have these two incredible up and coming stars’ — that is what it said — and it’s Saturday night, at 11 at night, you kind of notice,” Klobuchar said. “And then reading up about them, such incredible leaders.”
Scanlon and Russell, both still in their 30s and their first terms as statewide elected officials, beamed.
Bronin got a similar shoutout from Wes Moore, the charismatic governor of Maryland. Moore was one of the guest speakers at the Connecticut delegation breakfasts who are believed to have national ambitions. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is scheduled for Thursday.
“It’s a special honor to be here with one of my dearest friends and one of the most remarkable leaders I’ve ever had a chance to be around — my dear friend, Luke Bronin,” Moore said. “You got a special one here, and I tell you, it means so much.”
Moore, the first Black governor of Maryland, and Bronin were housemates while graduate students at Oxford. Bronin helped raise money for Moore, an Afghanistan veteran, after he left the U.S. Army and eventually decided to run for governor.
The four-day convention’s official business begins at night, televised from the United Center basketball and hockey arena. The days are for socializing and networking. Often, it’s about doing what most of them regularly do in Connecticut, deepening relationships for races that may or may not come.
Bysiewicz and Bronin have made no secret of their intentions to run for governor in 2026 if Lamont does not. Tong is more than likely to join them. Scanlon and Russell have ambitions but time to wait.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a friend of Bysiewicz’ as the former leader of a Democratic LG association, teased the delegates at breakfast Wednesday about the ambitions endemic to politics — and the attendant tensions.
“I wanted to turn that Democratic organization of lieutenant governors into a power house, because, guess what, all the attorney generals out there think AG stands for ‘almost governor,’” Hochul said.
The delegates laughed, a few louder than others.
Tong, the Connecticut AG, got up from his seat next to Lamont, feigning insult and an intention to leave. Scanlon and Russell, standing in the back of the room, looked at each other and grinned.
New York’s attorney general, Letitia James, had spoken earlier. James was briefly a candidate for governor in 2022 but ultimately opted to run for reelection as attorney general.
Attorney general has been a far better springboard than lieutenant governor for advancement in Connecticut — and elsewhere. Two of Tong’s predecessors, Joe Lieberman and Richard Blumenthal, left the office for the U.S. Senate. Harris was attorney general of California, then a senator and vice president.
At least for a century, LGs have moved up in Connecticut only when their governor died or resigned. Hochul ascended with a sexual harassment scandal that forced Gov. Andrew Cuomo from office.
The breakfast ran long. Scanlon and Russell, the first millennials elected to statewide office in Connecticut, had the last speaking slots and the unenviable job of following the energizing U.S. Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro to the microphone, then competing to keep an audience as Hochul departed with Lamont and delegates rushed for selfies.
Tong and Scanlon remained as Russell finally had his turn, a small show of respect among the friendly rivals.
At his luncheon the previous day, Tong said it was the third he’s hosted at national conventions, the first being in Denver in 2008, when Barack Obama was nominated. It’s about face time, a building block in politics.
“You don’t develop those relationships — not just a kinship and a friendship, but loyalty — if you don’t spend time with people,” Tong said, standing in a private dining room at MingHin Cuisine.
Audrey Blondin stopped by for a kiss. She is a Democratic state central committee member from Litchfield, known to admire Bysiewicz for her years of trudging to her corner of the state for fundraisers and campaigning on behalf of local candidates.
“I’m not going to pretend that whatever my future holds that everyone in this room is going to be with me,” Tong said after Blondin took her seat. “That’s just the nature of these things.”
Underscoring the point, state Rep. Josh Elliott of Hamden arrived, greeting Tong. Elliott, a progressive, is talking about a run for governor some day. Whether that complements or conflicts with Tong is yet to play out.
“Josh and I have become pretty good friends,” Tong said.
Bysiewicz said the convention networking is more social than political.
Bronin concurred.
“To me, the most fun part of politics is being around great people,” Bronin said. “And this is where you get to be around a lot of great people in Connecticut and around the country who are all working together toward the same goal and share a sense of mission, but also a lot of people who are just great, interesting, fun people to be around.”
And who might one day be helpful.
A theme of the convention is the passing of a generation torch, from the 81-year-old President Joe Biden to the 59-year-old Harris. Those torches get passed infrequently in Connecticut.
Blumenthal, the state’s senior U.S. senator, is 78 and will be 82 when he is next up for reelection. DeLauro is 81, the daughter of a New Haven alderwoman who lived to be 100. Her goal is to regain her powerful Appropriations Committee chair if Democrats win back the House.
As for Lamont, he is open to a third term. His wife, Annie, who is at the convention, has no plans to retire as a successful venture capitalist, leaving Lamont inclined to remain active in some role.
Asked this week if he had any thoughts on the next generation looking over his shoulder, Lamont smiled and said, “Nope.”
This story was originally published by the Connecticut Mirror.