Lamont and Fazio Clash Over ICE, Taxes, and Energy Costs in First Debate

Connecticut voters got their first side-by-side look at the governor's race on Thursday night, when Democratic incumbent Ned Lamont and Republican challenger Ryan Fazio met in a televised debate co-hosted by WFSB and CT Insider.

Immigration enforcement produced the sharpest exchange of the night. Fazio criticized Lamont's support for Connecticut's Trust Act, which limits state cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, and pointed to the killing of a two-year-old Stamford boy three years ago by a man who had previously served jail time. Lamont pushed back, saying Fazio was exploiting a tragedy unrelated to immigration policy, and pointed to parents in Danbury who were picked up by federal immigration officers while dropping their children at school a few weeks ago.

On affordability, Fazio proposed an immediate gas-tax holiday of 25 cents per gallon, saying it would cost just over $100 million and could be paid for from a surplus in the Special Transportation Fund, which pays for roads and bridges. He challenged Lamont directly on why he had not supported one. Lamont, who suspended the gas tax in 2022, said a holiday would leave a hole in the budget, arguing that a short-term cut does not solve the underlying cost problem for families paying more at the pump.

Energy costs were the third fault line. Connecticut's electric rates remain among the highest in the country, and Fazio has made reducing them a centerpiece of his campaign, pointing to his work on a 2025 law that trimmed public-benefits charges on electric bills. Lamont defended his record while arguing that Fazio's proposals amount to easy gestures rather than durable fixes.

The debate also touched on foreign policy, with Fazio saying he opposes the war in Iran and arguing that tariffs and the conflict have pushed up household costs. He noted that he respected Lamont's 2006 Senate campaign, which was built on opposition to the Iraq War.

For Brookfield voters, the governor's race sits at the top of a nine-office ballot that also includes a congressional seat and state legislative races. Early voting continues daily through November 1 at Town Hall, with extended hours on October 27 and 29, before Election Day on November 3.