Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont is facing heightened scrutiny as the 2026 gubernatorial race enters its final weeks. Critics, led by Republican state Sen. Ryan Fazio, have highlighted recent text messages between Lamont and Eversource CEO Joe Nolan that suggest a “cozy” relationship.
Political context and campaign messaging
Throughout the campaign, Lamont has aired television ads touting his administration’s efforts to lower electricity bills by hundreds of dollars per year and to enact “tough reforms” aimed at Eversource, the state’s largest utility. In May, he publicly condemned Nolan’s eight‑figure salary after the utility sought a new rate hike for next year.
Text messages and Republican criticism
CT Insider published excerpts of texts in which Nolan urged Lamont to “intervene” in a dispute with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) over roughly $1 billion in unpaid storm‑related costs. Fazio seized on the exchange, accusing the governor of an overly familiar relationship with the utility’s chief executive.
Fazio also noted that Nolan bragged to investors about the resolution of the storm‑cost case and the recent $2.4 billion sale of Eversource’s water utility, Aquarion—both actions that required PURA approval, whose members are appointed by the governor.
Lamont’s response
In an interview with The Connecticut Mirror, Lamont defended his contacts as a normal part of the governor’s duties. He said he never felt compelled to act on behalf of the utility and characterized Nolan’s investor remarks as “telling them what they want to hear.”
“I have a civil relationship with people, that’s what I do, and that includes, you know, leaders of the utilities,” Lamont said. “That does not mean we compromise fighting for our consumers every day.”
Policy achievements and rate reductions
Lamont highlighted bipartisan regulatory reforms and investments in nuclear and renewable energy that, according to his office, have helped Connecticut’s electric rates fall by more than 10 percent over the past year. The state now enjoys lower rates per kilowatt‑hour than neighboring states.
Max Reiss, an Eversource spokesperson, echoed the governor’s view, stating, “Every single governor in the United States of America has to have a constructive relationship with the utilities that serve customers, who are also taxpayers.”
Storm‑cost dispute outcome
The long‑running dispute with PURA centered on Eversource’s claim of nearly $1 billion in costs incurred responding to catastrophic storms between 2018 and 2023. In July, PURA issued a decision allowing the utility to recover $861 million—over 90 percent of its request—while rejecting a $400 million interest claim.
Consumer Counsel Claire Coleman, who leads the agency representing utility customers before PURA, said her office was not pressured and that the final decision reflected a balanced consideration of customer interests.
Former staff and ethics considerations
Among the texts, Nolan suggested hiring former Lamont chief of staff Jonathan Dach as an “independent mediator” to resolve the storm‑cost case. Dach, who left state government in June amid a separate vehicle‑use inquiry, never received a formal offer.
State ethics rules prohibit former executive‑branch employees from lobbying their former agency for at least one year, a safeguard that applies to any such arrangement.
Looking ahead
As the election approaches, Lamont’s campaign will likely continue to emphasize the tangible rate reductions and energy‑policy reforms achieved under his leadership. Republican opponents, however, will keep pressing the narrative of an overly friendly relationship with Eversource, framing it as a potential conflict of interest.
Voters will be asked to weigh the governor’s record on utility costs against the allegations of undue closeness with the utility’s leadership.
Original reporting: The Connecticut Mirror — read the source article.
