2018 Connecticut gubernatorial election


The 2018 Connecticut gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the next governor and [Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut|lieutenant governor of Connecticut], concurrently with the 2018 [United States Senate election in Connecticut|election] of Connecticut's Class I U.S. Senate seat, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states, 2018 [United States House of Representatives elections|elections to the United States House of Representatives], and various state and local elections. This race's Democratic margin of victory was the closest to the national average of 3.1 points.
As Connecticut does not have gubernatorial term limits, incumbent Democratic governor Dannel Malloy was eligible to run for a third term, but declined to do so. After the resignation of Kansas governor Sam Brownback in January 2018, Malloy became the most unpopular governor in the United States. The general election was between 2006 Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Ned Lamont, and Republican financial executive Bob Stefanowski. Independent candidate and former Republican Oz Griebel has been called a spoiler candidate for Stefanowski, earning 3.89% of the vote. Lamont was re-elected governor in 2022 in a rematch with Stefanowski.

Democratic primary

Governor

Democratic nominee

Lost the Democratic primary

Withdrew prior to the Democratic primary

Declined

Lieutenant governor

Democratic nominee

Lost the Democratic primary

  • Eva Bermúdez Zimmerman, activist

Withdrew

Republican primary

Governor

Republican nominee

Lost the Republican primary

Eliminated at convention

Withdrew prior to convention

Declined

Convention

The Republican statewide nominating convention was held May 11–12, 2018 at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Connecticut.
Under the rules established by the convention, any candidate not receiving at least eight percent of the vote would be eliminated in the first round of voting. In the second round of voting, candidates not receiving 15 percent of the vote would be eliminated. In all subsequent rounds of voting, the candidate with the fewest votes would be eliminated, regardless of percentage. Voting would continue until one candidate receives 50 percent plus one of all votes cast.

Results at the convention

Polling

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Mark
Boughton		Mike
Handler		Tim
Herbst		Mark
Lauretti		Peter
Lumaj		Steve
Obsitnik		Prasad
Srinivasan		Bob
Stefanowski		David
Stemerman		Erin
Stewart		Dave
Walker		Undecided
McLaughlin & Associates May 4–6, 2018400± 4.9%7%2%3%4%2%2%3%33%2%11%3%30%

Lieutenant governor

Republican nominee

Lost the Republican primary

Withdrew

  • Ann Brookes, attorney
  • Peter Tesei, Greenwich first selectman

Independent

Candidates

Declared

Declined

  • Joe Scarborough, television personality and former Republican U.S. representative from Florida

Withdrew

  • Micah Welintukonis, former Coventry town councilman and Army veteran

General election

Polling

with Ned Lamont and Mark Boughton

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Ned
Lamont 		Mark
Boughton 		Undecided
Tremont Public AdvisorsMay 3–5, 2018550± 4.5%50%40%11%

with Ned Lamont and Erin Stewart

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Ned
Lamont 		Erin
Stewart 		Undecided
Tremont Public AdvisorsMay 3–5, 2018550± 4.5%44%46%10%

with Susan Bysiewicz and Erin Stewart

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Susan
Bysiewicz 		Erin
Stewart 		Undecided
Tremont Public AdvisorsMay 3–5, 2018550± 4.5%40%50%10%

with Susan Bysiewicz and Mark Boughton

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Susan
Bysiewicz 		Mark
Boughton 		Undecided
Tremont Public AdvisorsMay 3–5, 2018550± 4.5%42%47%11%

with generic Democrat and Republican

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Generic
Democrat		Generic
Republican		Undecided
Tremont Public AdvisorsMay 3–5, 2018550± 4.5%43%50%7%

Results

By county

Lamont won four of eight counties, while Stefenowski won the other four.
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

By congressional district

Lamont won three of five congressional districts, while Stefenowski won two, both of which were held by Democrats.