Connecticut’s Black and Puerto Rican Caucus formally endorsed Gov. Ned Lamont’s bid for a third term at a campaign rally held on Saturday at his New Haven field office. The rally took place two days before the start of early voting on Monday in the Democratic gubernatorial primary between Lamont and Hamden State Rep. Josh Elliott.

Education Funding and Labor Protections

State Rep. Derell Wilson of Norwich served as emcee for the afternoon, introducing a series of colleagues and pointing to Electric Boat’s newly announced $76.6 billion federal submarine contract as an example of the economic partnerships Lamont has built. State Rep. Toni Walker of New Haven pointed to a roughly $37 million bump the city recently received under Lamont, along with the governor’s work with her on juvenile justice reform.

State Rep. Treneé McGee of West Haven cited an additional $170 million in state funding for municipal school districts and told the crowd that “the taxes did not increase in West Haven” under Lamont’s tenure. State Sen. Herron Gaston of Bridgeport said his city has invested $35 million in education infrastructure alongside Lamont’s $300 million early childhood education endowment.

Support from Attendees

June Amimi, a retired teacher who taught at the Hartford Transitional Learning Academy, said the state’s tax exemption on a portion of retired teachers’ pension income has made a tangible difference in her household. She and her husband, Mahmood, have lived in Connecticut for roughly 40 years.

Lamont thanked the group and warned attendees against complacency heading into the primary and general election. He pitched his candidacy as fundamentally about follow-through rather than rhetoric, pointing to new housing, transportation investment, and education funding as top priorities.

Original reporting: New Haven Independent — read the source article.