HARTFORD — The State Elections Enforcement Commission on Wednesday approved the first convention campaign grant for former New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart to support her candidacy for the Republican nomination for governor.
The SEEC approved a $806,875 grant for Stewart at its meeting Wednesday.
The Stewart campaign said in a news release that approval means her campaign is fully funded for the remainder of the governor’s race. The campaign also announced the opening of its headquarters at 1 Liberty Square in New Britain and its senior leadership team.
Stewart and state Sen. Ryan Fazio of Greenwich are the leading candidates for the Republican nomination for the governor’s race in 2026. Also, Norwich Republican Timothy M. Wilcox declared his candidacy in May, and Scott P. Merrill, a Norwalk Republican who registered to run for governor in 2010, 2014 and 2018, filed candidacy papers Nov. 26.
On the Democratic side, Gov. Ned Lamont and Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz launched their bid for a third term in November. State Rep. Joshua Elliott of Hamden is the only challenger so far to Lamont for the Democratic nomination.
This the first time a convention campaign grant has been awarded since this new public financing option became available for the 2026 gubernatorial election.
“We are fully operational and ready to go! We are in this race to win, and we have the resources, the HQ and the team to prove it,” Stewart said in a campaign release. “I am beyond thrilled that, on our first try, the SEEC approved our application for the grant — the earliest ever submitted.”
The state legislature added convention campaign grants for gubernatorial candidates from major parties in a 2023 overhaul of the Citizens’ Election Program, which provides public financing to qualifying candidates for state offices.
To qualify for a convention campaign grant, gubernatorial candidates must raise $250,000 in individual contributions ranging from $5 to $250 and a minimum of 90% of those contributions must come from Connecticut residents.
Stewart raised slightly more than $287,150 in qualifying contributions between January 2025, when she formed an exploratory committee, and November, when she announced her candidacy and created a campaign committee, according to Salman Munir, director of the SEEC’s Campaign Audit and Disclosure Unit.