He’s in: Ryan Fazio launches campaign for governor.

After several weeks of phone calls and quiet contemplation, state Senator Ryan Fazio announced Wednesday he will seek the Republican nomination for governor.

The third term Greenwich Republican is expected to face Erin Stewart, the mayor of New Britain, for the party’s nomination at a May nominating convention and in an August primary. Stewart recently announced she crossed the $300,000 mark in small donations to her exploratory committee.

Fazio’s first fundraising period of his campaign ends September 30th. A hefty haul in that scrutinized report will buttress his message that he is a serious candidate with formidable fundraising chops.

Fazio accompanied his announcement with a video that begins with Attorney General William Tong’s 2022 re-election theme that “every day is a struggle in Connecticut.” (And juvenile car thefts are a serious problem, too, according to Fazio.) He pivots from the grim to sunny uplands and promises a $1,500 per family income tax cut. The state’s finances have enjoyed a remarkable improvement under Governor Ned Lamont, who is expected to seek a third term.

Connecticut’s restrictive ballot access laws will require Fazio to spend considerable time wooing party activists who are likely to serve as delegates next spring, but municipal campaigns this fall will provide opportunities for Fazio to assist local Republicans raise money and inject their campaigns with some youthful enthusiasm.

Years of conflict among Greenwich Republicans have required Fazio to become a deft navigator of the internal battles that dominate some local party organizations, an underrated skill in candidates seeking statewide office for the first time.

Published August 13, 2025.