HARTFORD, Conn. — Gov. Ned Lamont will be sworn in for his second term Wednesday.
Analysts say he’s taking office in a much stronger position than four years ago. He’s more popular, winning in November by a larger margin than in 2018 and securing higher approval ratings.
Lamont also has a Democrat-held state legislature behind him. Experts say all these factors could culminate in a bold plan for the state.
“Ned Lamont now I think is going to feel in many ways almost unrestrained,” said Gary Rose, a political science professor and chair of the Department of Government at Sacred Heart University.
Rose said this will be Lamont’s second, and most likely final, term in office.
“I seriously doubt that he's going to run for a third term and so I think he wants to probably do some really big creative things within the next four years,” said Rose.
Some of those creative things are continuations from his last term–tax reform, infrastructure improvements and fiscal security.
These priorities are ones Lamont built and worked on throughout his first four years.
“I'm expecting a very broad sweeping, probably a very creative, forward-looking agenda on his part,” Rose said.
With multiple positive factors behind him, like the higher approval ratings and Democrat-controlled state legislature, FOX61 asked Rose just how successful Lamont could be in this second term.
“Lamont now has four years of experience under his belt,” answered Rose. “I am anticipating a pretty successful second term quite frankly.”
This is a second term with potentially a lot less adversity than the first time. Rose said now, Lamont can afford to take a risk.
“I think Ned Lamont really wants to go down in Connecticut history as one of our great governors,” Rose added.
Emma Wulfhorst is a political reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at ewulfhorst@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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