‘Shroom time. Elliott challenges Lamont for Governor. Is it state representative’s Thyme and Season?

You are not hallucinating. State Representative Joshua Elliott made it official with a Tuesday filing. The Hamden Democrat will challenge Governor Ned Lamont for their party’s nomination if the popular Greenwich Democrat seeks a third term.

The five-term legislator, first elected to the House in 2016, has of late been a leading advocate of decriminalizing psilocybin, the psychedelic compound in some mushrooms that “in uncontrolled doses can be dangerous and lead to unforeseen consequences.” Hallucinations could become an unintended theme of Elliott’s campaign.

Elliott’s previous campaign for statewide office was four years ago when he ran for secretary of the state. It was a bid that failed to land with Democratic delegates. Of the five candidates seeking the Democratic nomination at the party’s 2022 convention, only Elliott failed to garner the 15% of the vote on any ballot to qualify for a primary.

Elliott has frequently been in the forefront of ideological nonsense. He was one of the leaders in the anti-democratic movement to fine voters who decline to cast ballots in general elections. Elliott advocated a $15.00 an hour minimum wage while he was paying employees at his health food stores, Thyme & Season, $10.50 an hour. Elliott has complained that state’s taxes are too low.

In 2019, according to the New Haven Independent, Elliott told his colleagues, “It’s very difficult to be a business owner and to be a progressive in this environment because, to a lot of people, that means being hypocritical.”

Published July 8, 2025.