An Arora Borealis or one more Greenwich resident poking around the race for governor? Former state representative explores the political universe.

Harry Arora, a name that had slipped from view four years ago, shot into Connecticut’s political universe Tuesday. The former one-term state representative who lost his 2022 bid for state treasurer is exploring a race for governor. Arora emphasized in his announcement that received more votes than any other Republican on the statewide ballot. He nevertheless lost by a hefty 93,000 votes against first-time candidate Russell.

The investment manager is making his fifth bid for public office in eight years. Arora challenged Democrat U.S. Representative Jim Himes in 2018 and attracted just 39% of the vote in a year when Connecticut voters turned many Republicans out of office. Arora won a January 2020 special election to the state House of Representatives by 400 votes, filling the seat vacated by popular Greenwich Republican Fred Camillo, who had been elected the tony town’s first selectman the previous November. Arora was re-elected in the 2020 general election by 900 votes, winning 53% of the 13,809 votes cast.

Arora ran a brief but bitter campaign for the Republican nomination in the special election for the 36th Senate District in the summer of 2021. Incumbent Democrat Alex Kasser resigned six months into her second term. Connecticut’s election laws are at their most restrictive in special elections. The delegates from the previous nominating convention reassemble and select a nominee. The law makes no provision for a primary. Arora dropped out of the race shortly before the delegates met to select a nominee. The delegates, meeting remotely, chose 2020 nominee Ryan Fazio, over Leora Levy.

Fazio was elected in the special election and re-elected in 2022 and 2024. He is seeking the Republican nomination for governor and announced this week that he has collected enough donations to qualify for the state’s extravagant publicly funded campaign finance grant.

In his exploratory campaign announcement, Arora declared “I’m exploring this run because Connecticut is at a crossroads,” Arora said. “Our state has drifted away from the principles that made it prosperous: free enterprise, limited and efficient government, and focus on opportunity. We have to bring down the cost of energy and healthcare, address the housing shortage, and attract high-paying jobs. We can get it done by unleashing free-market forces and attracting capital, rather than creating mandates or forcing towns to urbanize. Our schools need to focus on math, science, literacy, and critical thinking, encourage parental voice, and our colleges need to prepare graduates for jobs of the 21st century.”

On a historical note, Arora over eggs the pudding with his claim that in 2022 he “achieved a milestone in Connecticut politics by becoming the first down-ballot Republican candidate to earn more votes than the top of the ticket.” Not even close. In both 1990 and 1994, three of the down-ballot Republicans received more votes than gubernatorial nominee John G. Rowland. In 1986, Gary Franks, the Waterbury Republican running for comptroller, received more votes than any other Republican on that year’s statewide ticket.

If Arora finds a lane in the Republican contest, he will join Fazio, six-term former New Britain mayor Erin Stewart, and perhaps former New York lieutenant governor Betsy McCaughey–also of Greenwich. The Republican nominee will face a Greenwich Democrat, Governor Ned Lamont.

Published January 13, 2026.