Bordonaro: Healthcare, energy costs remain weak spots for Lamont’s reelection bid

Hartford Business Journal – Monday, June 29, 2026
By Greg Bordonaro

Gov. Ned Lamont has recently made healthcare affordability and energy costs frequent talking points on the campaign trail.

The political challenge is that both are issues Connecticut residents and businesses have been struggling with throughout his two terms in office. Lamont is now positioning himself as the candidate who can fix problems that many voters may reasonably wonder why he didn’t do more to address earlier.

Does that mean the governor is in political trouble? Likely not.

Despite mounting frustration over healthcare premiums and electric bills, the moderate two-term Democrat remains the favorite to win reelection. But both issues offer opponents an opportunity to challenge one of the central arguments of his campaign: that he’s the right person to tackle some of Connecticut’s biggest affordability challenges.

Healthcare is perhaps the clearest example.

Connecticut insurers in early June requested average premium increases of 16.2% in the individual market and 17.8% in the small-group market for 2027. Some small-business plans could see rate increases of more than 23%.

Healthcare costs have become one of the biggest financial pressures facing Connecticut businesses, particularly small employers that lack the bargaining power of larger companies.

To be fair, the problem didn’t begin with Lamont. Healthcare costs were rising long before he became governor. But after nearly eight years in office, small businesses are still facing double-digit premium increases while the fully insured small-group market has continued to deteriorate.

One proposal business groups have pushed for is allowing association health plans, which would let small employers band together to purchase coverage and potentially lower costs.

Lamont has said he supports the concept, yet it has failed to get through the legislature after repeated attempts by a bipartisan group of lawmakers.

Now, nearly eight years into his governorship, Lamont is promoting what he calls the Connecticut Option.

While details remain vague, the proposal appears to involve opening the state-run Partnership Plan, which provides health coverage to municipal and other public-sector employees, to small businesses and nonprofits. It’s an idea worth exploring, but it’s fair to ask why Lamont waited so long to propose it.

The idea also presents financial risks. The state-run Partnership Plan has posted deficits in the past, raising legitimate questions about whether expanding it would reduce costs or simply shift financial risks to taxpayers and other participants.

Energy presents a similar political challenge.

Electricity costs have been a source of frustration throughout Lamont’s tenure. The governor can point to some accomplishments, including the Millstone power agreement and legislation that temporarily reduced public benefits charges.

But voters tend to judge energy policy by the bill that arrives in their mailbox each month.

And Connecticut residents continue to pay some of the highest electricity rates in the country.

That’s why Lamont’s recent utility reform package generated so much attention.

The governor is now proposing periodic franchise reviews for utilities, stronger consumer protections, increased competition, affordability standards, limits on utility profits and other reforms designed to hold electric companies more accountable.

Some of those ideas deserve serious consideration.

But the criticism writes itself. If these reforms are necessary today, why weren’t they priorities several years ago?

There’s also a broader issue. Lamont himself has often said Connecticut needs more energy supply to lower electricity costs. Yet much of his latest proposal focuses on utility regulation and oversight. Whether those reforms will meaningfully lower rates without bringing more generation onto the grid remains unclear.

That leaves Lamont vulnerable to criticism from his opponents.

On the Democratic side, state Rep. Josh Elliott is attacking from the left, arguing that Lamont has not gone far enough on healthcare, energy and affordability issues. On the Republican side, state Sen. Ryan Fazio has made energy costs and utility oversight central themes of his campaign.

Neither challenge appears likely to derail Lamont’s path to a third term.

Elliott’s calls for higher taxes on wealthy residents may resonate with some Democratic primary voters, but they are unlikely to appeal to the broader electorate. Many Connecticut voters seem comfortable with a moderate Democratic governor serving as a counterbalance to an increasingly progressive legislature.

Republicans face even longer odds. The party entered the race weakened by controversy surrounding former frontrunner Erin Stewart, who is under investigation for allegedly using the city of New Britain as her personal piggybank during her time as mayor. Fazio is an intriguing young candidate with a compelling message on affordability, but defeating a well-known incumbent Democrat in a blue state remains a difficult proposition.

That’s why Lamont remains the favorite. Still, healthcare and energy are likely to remain persistent liabilities as he seeks a third term.

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