Fiscal stability and tax restraint will guide his agenda as he returns for a historic third term as Connecticut governor, Democrat Ned Lamont said at a post-election news briefing in his office in Hartford on Wednesday.
Lamont returns to office with his fellow Democrats holding their largest supermajorities in the Connecticut General Assembly in more than a century.
They have a possible 32-4 seat edge in the Senate, depending on the outcome of some close races following Tuesday’s election. In the House, Democrats flipped 14 Republican seats to gain a 116-35 majority.
Lamont is not deterred by the lawmakers’ veto-proof majority.
“I campaigned with a lot of them,” Lamont said. “They know exactly where I stand and they were right there with me. So, I think there is growing consensus from the new folks coming in about what we want to do together.”
He’s also open to input from the minority Republicans.
“My governing style hasn’t changed. Big table, open door. And I welcome progressives, moderates, Republicans,” Lamont said.
“You know, come in, give me your best idea, but make it real because today elections are over; it’s not about campaign promises but what you are actually able to deliver,” he said.
Lamont’s priorities include rising health care costs and state spending on public education, transportation and housing.
