Lamont and Fazio Face Off as Early Voting Begins; Meet Their Teams

WHO:

WTNH - Gov. Ned Lamont and Republican challenger state Sen. Ryan Fazio were participants in the first debate.

WTNH - Tom Dudchik and a panel discussed Connecticut’s election season on the program “Capitol Report.”

Inside Investigator - Ned Lamont is seeking a third term as governor.

Inside Investigator - Ryan Fazio is the Republican candidate for governor and a state senator from Greenwich.

Inside Investigator - Bob Stefanowski was the Republican gubernatorial candidate Lamont defeated in 2018 and 2022.

WHAT:

WTNH - The “Capitol Report” panel recapped the first debate between Lamont and Fazio and examined early-voting turnout across Connecticut.

Inside Investigator - Lamont previously defeated Stefanowski in two gubernatorial elections, in 2018 and 2022.

Inside Investigator - The article says Fazio faces an uphill battle.

WHERE:

WTNH - The report concerns Connecticut’s election season and early voting across Connecticut.

WTNH - The article identifies New Haven, Connecticut, in its dateline.

Inside Investigator - Fazio is identified as being from Greenwich.

WHY:

Inside Investigator - The article attributes Fazio’s uphill battle to strong political headwinds facing Republicans nationally, which it says have affected some Republican strongholds, including Texas.

HOW:

WTNH - The election coverage was presented on “Capitol Report” by Tom Dudchik and a panel, which reviewed the debate and early-voting turnout.

(UPDATED October 25, 2026 13:05 UTC)

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and Republican challenger Ryan Fazio have faced off in their first debate, as the state’s election season gathers pace. Lamont is seeking a third term, while Fazio, a state senator from Greenwich, is running for governor. On “Capitol Report,” host Tom Dudchik and a panel reviewed the debate and examined early-voting turnout across Connecticut. Fazio enters the race facing an uphill battle, with strong national political headwinds confronting Republicans. Those pressures have affected some Republican strongholds, including Texas. Lamont has twice defeated Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Stefanowski, winning in 2018 and again in 2022. The debate and turnout discussion offered a snapshot of the campaign as voters begin casting ballots early.