DGA's Debate Verdict on Lamont Reads Like a Fundraising Pitch

The Democratic Governors Association declared Gov. Ned Lamont the "clear winner" of Connecticut's second gubernatorial debate on October 28, in a statement from spokesperson Kevin Donohoe that credited Lamont with lowering costs, balancing the state budget and standing up to the Trump administration, while describing Republican Ryan Fazio as out of his depth and beholden to President Donald Trump.

No one should mistake this for a scorecard. The same release asks readers to "chip in right now," noting that 36 governor's races are on the map in November and that 80% of Americans will vote for a governor. A partisan committee that exists to elect Democratic governors announcing that the Democratic governor won is not information; it is inventory for an email list.

That matters for Connecticut employers, who have a real stake in which candidate prevails and in what either would do on taxes, the state budget and the cost of doing business. The DGA statement offers claims about Lamont's record and adjectives about Fazio's performance, but no specifics that a business owner could weigh.

Voters deciding the race deserve the debate itself, not a press release written before the applause died down.

This story was first reported by Democratic Governors Association (DGA).