Outside spending in Connecticut's top race hits $866,870

Independent groups have spent a total of $866,870 on the 2026 Connecticut election cycle through Oct. 21, according to reports filed with the State Elections Enforcement Commission. That figure includes nearly $198,470 in expenses that were incurred but not yet paid. The spending is spread across multiple contests, with the bulk directed toward legislative races rather than the governor's race.

The amount of outside money flowing into the contest for governor has decreased dramatically compared to the 2022 election. In that cycle, outside groups spent nearly $9 million in independent expenditures. They allocated $6.5 million to oppose the reelection of Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont and $2.7 million to thwart Republican nominee Bob Stefanowski. The 2022 race was also the most expensive governor's race in state history, with Lamont spending nearly $26 million and Stefanowski spending $14 million on their own campaigns.

Gary Rose, a scholar-in-residence at Sacred Heart University, noted that the drop-off in independent spending for the 2026 race between Lamont and Greenwich state Sen. Ryan Fazio has been noticeable. Two independent polls released in October show Lamont leading by wide margins. One poll places him 20 percentage points ahead among likely voters, while another shows a 22 point lead.

Specific independent expenditures in the gubernatorial race have been modest. On Oct. 20, a group called Hands Off Our Schools spent $164,000 on digital advertising for Fazio. The Connecticut Republican Party spent $10,000 opposing Lamont on Oct. 15. The first reported independent expenditure for Lamont was a $10,000 digital ad buy on Oct. 9. That purchase was part of a larger $76,000 ad buy by Working Families for Education Excellence, which supported six Democratic statewide candidates and eight Democratic legislative candidates.

Unlike in 2022, most of the independent spending in 2026 targets the 187-seat General Assembly. The Democratic Party currently controls that body. Substantial sums were also spent in two Democratic primaries. The highest level of outside spending in a legislative race so far occurred in the three-way state Senate primary for the 2nd Senate District.

Two independent expenditure-only committees spent $104,460 to support state Rep. Maryam Khan and oppose her rivals in the Aug. 11 primary. Working Families for Education Excellence and Connecticut for the Future spent nearly $66,420 to support Khan. Working Families for Education Excellence spent another $37,745 opposing Taylor and McCrory. This amount was almost equal to the public financing Khan received for the party contest.

Khan, state Sen. Douglas McCrory, and Ayana Taylor, chair of the Windsor Board of Education, each received grants of $115,725 for the primary. The race drew attention due to state and federal investigations into grant awards McCrory directed to a Hartford-based nonprofit. The FBI is investigating his role in delivering the funds. McCrory has denied wrongdoing and has not been charged criminally. Khan won the primary with 39.6% of the vote. Taylor received 32.1% and McCrory received 28.3%.

Fazio qualified for an $18 million grant from the Citizens' Election Program to fund his campaign. Lamont has spent $15.9 million in personal funds, including $5.2 million in the last fundraising quarter. A complaint alleging illegal coordination between Fazio's campaign and Hands Off Our Schools briefly held up the release of Fazio's grant. The complaint was filed May 6 by a campaign worker for former New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart. The SEEC determined the parties had a firewall policy to prohibit the flow of information. The commission dismissed the matter on Oct. 7, and Fazio received the full grant on July 15.

Under state law, political committees formed for independent expenditures can spend unlimited sums. They are legally prohibited from coordinating with candidates or other political parties. Organization expenditures, such as those made by state parties and legislative caucuses, are not considered contributions. Through Oct. 21, these organization expenditures totaled $366,180 in the 2026 cycle.