Governor Ned Lamont may not make it to the general election in his bid for a third term. His Democrat primary opponent, progressive Josh Elliot, just released a very compelling political advertisement, suggesting an aggressive campaign against Lamont, a self-described “moderate.”
Progressives across the nation are having their moment. Democrat socialists like Elliot have upset even liberal Democrat incumbents in multiple recent primaries, most notably in neighboring New York City. Progressives are energized. They will turn out big in the state’s August primary.
The Democrat power structure, aka public sector unions, may be having heartburn after just endorsing Lamont over Elliot at the recent AFLCIO convention. The union bosses may have to call members back from August vacations to rescue Lamont.
An Elliot surge and a manifestly weakened Lamont is a huge opportunity for GOP candidate, Ryan Fazio.
Fazio has been planning to run on the general issue of affordability. He needs a sharper angle.
Actually, there is a potent new affordability issue for Fazio, about which he has already spoken quite eloquently: state employee over-compensation. State workers are the highest paid in the 50 states: the second-highest wages and the best benefits by far.
