- Share on WeChat
-
Businessman Ned Lamont (D) defeated businessman Bob Stefanowski (R), Mark Stewart Greenstein (Amigo Constitution), Oz Griebel (I), and Rod Hanscomb (L) in the general election on November 6, 2018, for governor of Connecticut.
Incumbent Gov. Dan Malloy (D) announced in April 2017 that he would not seek re-election to a third term in 2018, leaving the seat open. Of the ten preceding gubernatorial elections, a Democratic candidate won five—including Malloy's victories in 2010 and 2014—a Republican candidate won four, and an independent candidate won one. The last time a Connecticut gubernatorial election was won by a candidate of the same political party as the outgoing governor was in 1924 when Hiram Bingham (R) was elected to succeed Charles Templeton (R). In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) carried the state by a margin of 14 percentage points.
Lamont's victory preserved the state's Democratic trifecta. At the time of the 2018 election, Connecticut had been a Democratic trifecta since Gov. Dan Malloy (D) took office in 2011.
Connecticut was one of 36 states that held an election for governor in 2018. Democrats gained seven previously Republican-held seats, and Republicans gained one previously independent-held seat. Heading into the 2018 elections, there were 16 Democratic governors, 33 Republican governors, and one independent governor. In 2018, 26 of the 33 states with a Republican governor held a gubernatorial election, while nine out of the 16 states with a Democratic governor held a gubernatorial election. Seventeen of the 36 seats up for election were open seats (four Democratic, 12 Republican, and one independent), meaning that the sitting governor was not seeking re-election.
Governor of Connecticut, 2018
| Poll | Poll sponsor | Ned Lamont (D) | Bob Stefanowski (R) | Rod Hanscomb (L) | Oz Griebel (I) | Undecided/Other | Margin of error | Sample size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gravis Marketing (October 30 - November 1, 2018) | N/A | 46% | 37% | 0% | 9% | 8% | +/-3.8 | 681 |
| Sacred Heart University/GreatBlue Research (October 29-31, 2018) | Hearst Connecticut Media Group | 38% | 40% | 0% | 9% | 13% | +/-4.3 | 500 |
| Quinnipiac University (October 22-28, 2018) | N/A | 47% | 43% | 0% | 7% | 4% | +/-4.0 | 1,201 |
| Sacred Heart University (October 13-17, 2018) | Hearst Connecticut Media Group | 40% | 36% | 0% | 8% | 16% | +/-4.3 | 501 |
| Public Policy Polling (October 8-9, 2018) | Change Course CT PAC | 43% | 38% | 0% | 0% | 19% | +/--- | 828 |
| AVERAGES | 42.8% | 38.8% | 0% | 6.6% | 12% | +/-3.28 | 742.2 |
Governor of Connecticut, 2018
| Poll | Poll sponsor | Ned Lamont (D) | Bob Stefanowski (R) | Rod Hanscomb (L) | Oz Griebel (I) | Undecided/Other | Margin of error | Sample size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinnipiac University (October 3-8, 2018) | N/A | 47% | 39% | 0% | 11% | 3% | +/-5.0 | 767 |
| Sacred Heart University (September 12-17, 2018) | Hearst Connecticut Media Group | 43% | 37% | 0% | 0% | 20% | +/-4.3 | 501 |
| Quinnipiac University (August 16-21, 2018) | N/A | 46% | 33% | 1% | 4% | 17% | +/-3.9 | 1,029 |
| Sacred Heart University (August 16-21, 2018) | GreatBlue Research | 41% | 40% | 0% | 0% | 23% | +/-4.3 | 502 |
| AVERAGES | 44.25% | 37.25% | 0.25% | 3.75% | 15.75% | +/-4.38 | 699.75 |
| Governor of Connecticut, 2018 (hypothetical Lamont vs. Boughton matchup) | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Ned Lamont (D) | Mark Boughton (R) | Undecided/Other | Margin of error | Sample size | |||||||||
| Tremont Public Advisers (May 3-5, 2018) | 50% | 40% | 11% | +/-4.5 | 550 | |||||||||
Governor of Connecticut, 2018
| Poll | Generic Democratic candidate | Generic Republican candidate | Mark Boughton (R) | Luke Bronin (D) | Susan Bysiewicz (D) | Ned Lamont (D) | David Walker (R) | Erin Stewart (R) | Undecided/Other | Margin of error | Sample size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tremont Public Advisors (February 15-17, 2018) | 26% | 24.6% | 11.1% | 0% | 10.0% | 8.8% | 0% | 15.2% | 4.3% | +/-3.0 | 1,003 |
| Tremont Public Advisors (December 12-14, 2017) | 22.5% | 35.4% | 9.3% | 10.6% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 5.6% | 0% | 0% | +/-3.0 | 1,150 |
| AVERAGES | 24.25% | 30% | 10.2% | 5.3% | 9.6% | 8.15% | 2.8% | 7.6% | 2.15% | +/-3 | 1,076.5 |
The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage. Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.
Race ratings: Connecticut gubernatorial election, 2018
| Race tracker | Race ratings | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 5, 2018 | October 30, 2018 | October 23, 2018 | October 16, 2018 | |
| The Cook Political Report | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up |
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic |
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic |
In the 2014 gubernatorial election, incumbent Dan Malloy (D) defeated Tom Foley (R).
Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut, 2014
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Dan Malloy/Nancy Wyman Incumbent |
50.7% | 554,314 | |
| Republican | Tom Foley/Heather Somers | 48.2% | 526,295 | |
| Independent | Joe Visconti/Chester Harris | 1% | 11,456 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.1% | 708 | |
| Total Votes | 1,092,773 | |||
| Election results via Connecticut Secretary of State | ||||
In the 2010 gubernatorial election, Dan Malloy (D) defeated Tom Foley (R).
Governor, Lieutenant Governor, 2010
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dan Malloy & Nancy Wyman |
49.5% | 567,278 | |
| Republican | Tom Foley & Mark Boughton | 49% | 560,874 | |
| Independent | Thomas E. Marsh & Cicero B. Booker, Jr. | 1.5% | 17,629 | |
| Total Votes | 1,145,781 | |||
Demographic data for Connecticut
| Connecticut | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|
| Total population: | 3,584,730 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 4,842 | 3,531,905 |
| Gender | ||
| Female: | 51.3% | 50.8% |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 77.3% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 10.3% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 4.2% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.8% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 14.7% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 89.9% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 37.6% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $70,331 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 12.2% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Connecticut. | ||
As of July 2016, Connecticut's three largest cities were Bridgeport (pop. est. 146,579), New Haven (pop. est. 131,014), and Stamford (pop. est. 130,824).
