Lamont and Fazio Face Off in Connecticut’s First TV Debate
WHO:
WTNH - Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat, and State Sen. Ryan Fazio, a Republican, took part in the debate.
CT Mirror - Republican Ryan Fazio debated Gov. Ned Lamont.
WHAT:
WTNH - News 8 and the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities will host a live televised debate between the candidates.
CT News Junkie - Lamont and Fazio essentially agreed the election should be a referendum on Lamont’s job performance, with President Donald Trump also a factor.
WTNH - Lamont and Fazio held their first gubernatorial debate, which lasted one hour.
WTNH - The candidates discussed international and local issues and challenged each other on some of the top issues.
CT Mirror - Fazio worked aggressively in his first televised debate with Lamont to reframe the gubernatorial election.
WHERE:
WTNH - The debate took place in Rocky Hill, Connecticut.
CT Mirror - The debate was televised in Connecticut.
WHEN:
WTNH - The live debate is scheduled for Oct. 27.
WTNH - The debate took place on a Thursday night, less than two weeks before Election Day.
WHY:
CT News Junkie - The candidates framed the election around Lamont’s job performance and, in part, President Donald Trump.
HOW:
WTNH - Lamont and Fazio met face to face for the debate.
CT Mirror - Fazio used an aggressive approach to try to reframe the election.
(UPDATED October 23, 2026 18:19 UTC)
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and Republican state Sen. Ryan Fazio met in Rocky Hill for their first televised gubernatorial debate, a one-hour face-to-face exchange. The candidates tackled international and local issues, challenging each other on some of the campaign’s leading concerns. They largely agreed the election should be judged as a referendum on Lamont’s job performance, while President Trump also figured into their arguments. Fazio took an aggressive approach, seeking to shift the terms of the race. The debate was televised across Connecticut as voters prepared to choose their next governor. News 8 and the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities are also set to host a live televised debate between the candidates on Oct. 27.
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(UPDATED October 23, 2026 10:07 UTC)
Gov. Ned Lamont and Republican State Sen. Ryan Fazio met face to face for their first televised gubernatorial debate in Rocky Hill, Connecticut. The one-hour debate brought the candidates together to challenge each other on major issues. They discussed both international matters and concerns closer to home. Fazio took an aggressive approach, trying to shift the focus of the race. But both candidates essentially agreed the election should be viewed as a referendum on Lamont’s job performance. President Trump was also part of how they framed the contest. The exchange offered voters a direct comparison between the Democratic governor and his Republican challenger. The debate took place less than two weeks before Election Day.
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(UPDATED October 23, 2026 05:07 UTC)
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and Republican State Sen. Ryan Fazio faced off in their first gubernatorial debate, a one-hour televised event in Rocky Hill. Fazio took an aggressive approach, seeking to reframe the race, while the candidates challenged each other on several of the campaign’s leading issues. They discussed both international and local concerns, bringing the debate from broad matters to issues closer to home. The encounter put the Democratic governor and his Republican challenger face to face before Connecticut voters. It took place on a Thursday night, less than two weeks before Election Day, as the campaign entered its final stretch. Both candidates used the televised forum to make their case and test each other’s positions.