It’s September. We’re back!
Save the Date – Big Fall Event is Oct.15
News and notes from the State Capitol
News and notes from around the state
- After taking a break for the month of August, we are pleased to be back with our weekly FF – an e-newsletter designed to deliver to you the news about retail, state government, and the legislature, and what is happening in the state of CT.
- We appreciate all our loyal readers of the FF and look forward to keeping you informed about all the happenings in the world of Retail.
- So, let’s get into it!
Save the Date – CRN’s 2026 Big Fall event
- This week, we start with a notification that we are launching our Big Fall event that will be held on October 15th at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts’ Autorino Great Hall.
- This year, we are super excited to inform you that it is our intention to invite both candidates running for the office of Governor of the State as our special guests.
- Invitations have been sent to both camps, and we expect that we will receive a positive response from both Governor Lamont – who, by the way, easily defeated his primary opponent, Rep. Josh Elliott, back in August – and the Republican Candidate for Governor, State Senator Ryan Fazio.
- Registration and sponsorship opportunities are available now. Please visit our website, www.ctretailnetwork.com.
- We can’t wait for this year’s event and hope you will join us!
Primary updates
- We mentioned above the results of the August primary contest between Lamont and Elliot, but those were not the only primaries that were held.
- Two legislative primaries took place, and in both cases the incumbent lost their efforts to retain their seats.
- In New Haven, longtime state representative Pat Dillion lost her primary to Alderman Eli Saban. Dillion had served New Haven in the House since winning the seat in 1984. More on that primary here.
- In Hartford, another long-serving legislator lost his primary as well.
- Sen. Doug McCrory lost his bid for re-election when he lost a primary contest to State Rep. Maryam Khan. More on that primary here.
- In what may be the highest-profile primary race, in the First Congressional District, incumbent Congressman John Larson lost his bid to remain in Congress when former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin upset him and two others to win the primary and will be the Democratic candidate in November to be the next Congressman from the First.
News and Notes from the State Capitol
- After a campaign that went all the way to the Connecticut Supreme Court, state Rep. John Santanella won an overwhelming victory in a special primary over longtime attorney Tom Tyler in Enfield. The Hartford Courant’s Chris Keating has the details here.
- Stephanie Thomas, Connecticut’s Secretary of the State, held a press conference to respond to reports that Connecticut would be one of nine states the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials intend to investigate in the coming weeks for election fraud. CT Inside Investigator has the details here.
- Gov. Ned Lamont has joined governors from more than two dozen states in signing a bipartisan compact aimed at making entrepreneurship and small-business development a greater priority in state government. Hartford Business Journal has the details here.
- President Donald Trump’s newly implemented tariffs on Canadian goods and the retaliatory tariffs being imposed on U.S. products by Canada will likely lead to price increases on a wide variety of products, officials warned Monday. CTNewsJunkie has that news here.
- Gov. Lamont acknowledged on Monday that he was personally involved in the decision to award a no-bid contract worth $250,000 to former U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona’s consulting business. CT Insider has the latest developments here.
News and notes from around the state
- As students return to school, state officials and private partners are joining forces to launch a pair of media campaigns aimed at informing residents how to access help for young people who may be experiencing mental health challenges. Details reported by CTNewsJunkie here.
- Connecticut’s community health centers have been nationally recognized for delivering high-quality, patient-centered healthcare, according to a news release. CTNewsJunkie has the highlights here.
- Connecticut-based casinos Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort Casino were named to multiple USA Today “10 Best” lists on Wednesday, as CT Post reports here.
- A well-known Farmington developer is invoking Connecticut’s 8-30g law as it looks to build an affordable housing complex in Wallingford with more than 80 apartments. The Hartford Courant reports on the plans here.
- The Immigrant Heritage Hall of Fame has announced its 2026 inductees. The 2026 inductees include Nermin “Miki” Duric, Tai Soo Kim, Seila Mosquera-Bruno and Ruth Weiner. Mosquera-Bruno was appointed Commissioner of Housing for the State of Connecticut by Gov. Lamont in 2019 and reappointed for his second term in 2023. More about the event reported by the New Britain Herald here.
- The town of Vernon says nearly 100 drivers may have illegally passed school buses within the first three days of its new safety initiative. FOX61 reports that news here.
- U.S. News & World Report has released its list of the “Top 250 Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2026-2027, and West Hartford was again the top-ranked town in the state and, with a national ranking of No. 49, was the only Connecticut town among the top 250. Details here reported by we-ha.com
- Drivers on Connecticut roads this Labor Day weekend will see increased police patrols as state and local law enforcement agencies work to identify impaired and dangerous drivers. WFSB has that news here.