Connecticut is currently drowning in debt, and with a gubernatorial election coming up soon, there is a way to fix this issue. Whether it is common knowledge or not, Connecticut has acted as a blue state, a state that typically casts votes for the Democratic party. As the election for a new governor grows near, the two main candidates for the top executive spot: Ned Lamont (D) and Bob Stefanowski (R),  who seem to be neck in neck. There are many things to take into account when trying to predict the outcome of this election. While it is easy to say that Connecticut will just vote Democratic since it is a blue state, a lot has gone on in these past years, especially since Donald Trump’s inauguration, that may make a considerable impact on the election. Besides previous voting history, the attitudes toward the national executive branch leader Donald Trump and our state executive leader Dan Malloy, may skew the average voting practices.

According to a Gallup poll, President Donald Trump’s national approval rating is about 39%. For the state level, a graph by Business Insider shows that Connecticut’s approval rating of Trump is 31%. President Trump, a prominent Republican, is generally not liked by Connecticut. Republican women and other minorities have especially grown to dislike Trump after claiming they would give him a chance. These facts drive one to believe that Connecticut voters will bring their dissatisfaction of Trump to the polls and vote blue, believing that is in the best interest for our state. Many unsupported claims have been given on how closely Stefanowski resembles Trump in his policies, dubbing him a “Trump Republican” However, the poor approval rating of the current Democratic Governor Dan Malloy may also heavily influence the election.

Dannel Malloy, the current governor of our troubled Connecticut, has filled the role of the executive position for two terms now. The Hartford Courant wrote that Dan Malloy is currently serving in office with a depressing 23% approval rating. Faith in the Democratic party in Connecticut may be tarnished, affecting voters’ decisions on Election Day. The Courant also acknowledges that those wishing to win the gubernatorial election might try “to tap into [Malloy’s] unpopularity with voters and use it to capture the governorship.” Republicans have closely compared Ned Lamont to Dan Malloy based on party and platforms. They warn voters that Lamont’s claims are pointless and will only drive Connecticut into a deeper ditch. Stefanowski’s main argument against Lamont is that he will continue to raise the taxes, a sore spot for Connecticuters. With both candidates being compared to disliked officials, voters might be left baffled and wondering who the best choice will be.

Voters have a very tough decision in front of them. Rather than having a predictable outcome, the aforementioned points show that as of less than a month from Election Day, the two men are very close. It is difficult to make a prediction on who will win the election, but one can come to their own conclusions after reading these points. Happy election season!

Gailyn Merrill, Current Issues student 2018-2019. Guest writer for The Colonel.