Stewart’s intention was to submit her request at the start of Fiscal Year 2026, which was on July 1, 2025, “to provide the finance department with sufficient time to plan for the payout request,” the report states. As mayor, Stewart was not entitled to the money she requested because as an elected official, she was not required to keep track of their time and are permitted to make their own work schedule.

Stewart appears to have calculated that she was always working. Her initial request acknowledged no sick days in her 12-year run as a popular mayor. The city’s human resources director, Linda Guard, who was handed the headache of upholding the city’s compensation rules and managing the rapacious mayor, pointed out to Stewart that she had taken maternity leave for the birth of each of her two children and also for an instance when she underwent surgery.

The request came as Stewart was exploring a race for the Republican nomination for governor. Stewart sought 240 unused vacation days ($92,135.28), 78 unused personal days ($37,739.68), 126 unused holiday ($54,502.56), and 92 sick days ($24,201.73). She also included in her request $900.00 for a longevity payment.

A week after making her initial request, Stewart revised her demand downward in the face of some internal resistance. Her second request included a July 10th payment of $93,008.18 and $57,941.41 to be paid in 20 weekly installments of $2,897.07, beginning on November 12th. Sanchez halted the payments in February–after 10 had been made.

The report notes that Guard was surprised to be summoned to Stewart’s office to sign a document setting forth the payments. It states, “Not only was Ms. Guard surprised at being instructed to execute a letter she knew to be factually inaccurate but she was stunned at being pressured to sign it under circumstances she experienced as coercive.”

Stewart’s actions, the report concludes, “raise concerns that extend well beyond administrative misconduct and and may expose Ms. Stewart, and other individuals involved, to significant civil and criminal liability under both state and federal law.”

Published June 4, 2026.

The announcement of the investigation includes the revelation that the Mayor’s Trophy Charitable Fund was divided into parts, one managed as a donor advised fund under the jurisdiction of the Greater New Britain Community Foundation and a separate checking in at M&T Bank that may have been under Stewart’s control.

Tong and Cafferelli issued subpoenas for records from both the New Britain foundation and M&T Bank, they announced Wednesday afternoon.

The investigation was first called for in a May 12th Daily Ructions post.

Updates as events require.

Published June 3, 2026.

State Senator Jeff Gordon condemned Brooklyn Republican House candidate Jadon MacCormack’s “hateful remarks recently posted on social media…directed at the LGBT community….” The Woodstock Republican wrote, MacCormack’s comments “are reprehensible and have no place in our public discourse.” Gordon added, MacCormack’s language “does not reflect the basic decency Northeastern Connecticut residents exhibit on a daily basis.”

Gordon’s post joined one from Representative Vincent Candelora., the House Minority Leader. Candelora also condemned MacCormack, his party’s candidate in the 50th House District, currently represented by Democrat Pat Boyd. Candelora called MacCormack’s “violent rhetoric” “unhinged” and included a 2025 MacCormack post calling for the lynching of gays.

MacCormack, an Eagle Scout and gospel singer, aimed some thunderbolts at Candelora. He wrote that as a session employee working at the Energy and Technology Committee this year he “gained firsthand insight into who remains loyal to principle and who is willing to play politics at the expense of integrity imply to hold power.” Here endeth the lesson.

Or so one thought. A minister from Woodbury, a town that appears serene on its face, added his own incendiary support to MacCormack. Reverend Jake Dell, a Congregational minister, has some curious notions on politics as a force of redemption. And he is not at all happy with Ion Bank and, wait for it, Quassy Amusement and Water Park. Here is a screenshot of Reverend Dell’s screed:

What a lot of quizzical looks may have been exchanged in a Woodbury church as Parson Dell condemned Ion Bank and an amusement park from the pulpit of that venerable Congregational church, saving souls since 1818.

Published June 3, 2026.

Blimey, what has happened to the nice love thy neighbor gospel singers? Republican Jadon MacCormack, who highlights on his campaign website his warbling gospel music as one of his chief accomplishments, has let loose with a full blown moral panic fusillade in his campaign for the 50th House District. The nominee of the party of Lincoln has diagnosed the ills of the eight-town district and found them in found them in four letters: LGBT.

In a ferocious declaration of nuttiness, MacCormack pledges to reclaim the soul of Connecticut. Has someone run off with the Constitution State’s soul when the rest of us were not looking? Do we have a collective one that’s made of a little bit of each of ours? What about those who don’t believe in souls? Are they left out of MacCormsck’s Connecticut?

Perhaps some knowledges gathered over the decades can douse those raging fires outrage. The chief cause of domestic misery, “corrupting our families” to MacCormack, across the fruited plain is men, married men. The millions who engage in one or all of the following destructive habit: adultery, substance abuse, and gambling. It has been ever thus before and after the 1969 Stonewall riot.

Mr. MacCormack has used his self-declared “straight month” to remind voters, who are probably not fretting about out Nutmegger soul, who calls the Republican Party home in this Year of Our Lord 2026.

For a palette cleanse enjoy unsurpassable Mahalia Jackson’s guest appearance with her friend Dinah Shore, a Jew from Tennessee. Makes you want to lay down your arms and love your neighbor.

UPDATE: MacCormack “liked” a post calling for the deaths of LGBT people. Connecticut Republicans have a problem. They may wish this was one of the many districts without one of their candidate.

Published June 2, 2026.

The city reimbursed Stewart $31,564 with money “drawn on an a city account created to make payments in lieu of medical benefits to city employees who choose not to participate in the city’s health insurance coverage.”

Stewart drew others into the unusual arrangement, including the head of the Republican-controlled city council, though he had no authority to authorize the payments.

The payments to Stewart appear to violate the state constitution’s prohibition on changing an elected official’s compensation during his or her term. New Britain’s council sets the pay of the mayor and other elected officials at the start of a term for the following term. That tradition caused Stewart some trouble when the council proposed increasing the mayor’s by 13%, to $99,000 a year. A previous proposal would have raised her salary by 23%. That was withdrawn in the face of public opposition.

Stewart suspended her campaign for the Republican nomination for governor last month, several days after The Courant reported on her prolific use of a city credit card for what appeared to be more than $200,000 in personal purchases.

Published June 2, 2026.

Barry has chosen not to obtain petitions to begin collecting the several hundred signatures needed to secure a place on the primary ballot. Local Democratic regulars do not want their party taken over by Working Families Party activists based on a caucus of about 100 registered Democrats. So DiLizia has stepped forward.

He has begun circulating petitions on Monday, June 1st and has until the end of the day on Tuesday, June 9th to turn in the requisite number to the Glastonbury registrar of voters.

The signature collection process is an opportunity to show some early strength by turning in far more than the 5% required to appear on the August 11th primary ballot. The 31st House District is contained completely within Glastonbury, though it does not include the entire town.

Republicans in the district have not elected one of their own since 2016.

UPDATE: Anthony DiLizia spoke to Daily Ructions Monday evening. He has begun collecting the 286 signatures required to qualify for a primary. It will be a whirlwind week for the 30 year old who served six years in the U.S. Army. He joined upon graduating from high school and shortly after had a top secret clearance as an intelligence analyst.

DiLizia is the executive director of a mental health non-profit and is enrolled in Yale’s executive MBA program.

He attended the May 26th caucus at which Barry was defeated and concluded that a surprise challenge undermines transparency in the political process. More local Democrats should have a choice in the nominating process. A primary will provide that.

DiLizia was a delegate to the First Congressional District nominating convention and cast his vote for Luke Bronin.

Published June 1, 2026. Updated June 2, 2026.

Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas won a surprise victory at the 2022 Democratic state convention. Four years ago, Thomas won the party endorsement on the third ballot, defeating four other Democrats. Three of the Democrats won at least 15% of the delegate votes on one ballot.

Only one of the contenders failed to reach the 15% needed to qualify for a primary: Josh Elliott. Politics is a fickle ol’ business.

Thomas went on to win the 2022 primary and the general election.

This year, the Norwalk Democrat was unopposed for re-election, as were her fellow Constitutional officers. When state Democrats gathered at The Bushnell on May 16th, candidates for those statewide offices were at the voting–after the contested race for governor. Many delegates declined to remain in the historic hall, where Winston Churchill once commanded the stage, for the pro forma nominations of the under ticket.

Thomas was not pleased that so few of her fellow Democrats were in their seats to hear the speeches nominating and seconding her. She expressed her displeasure in a long email message to delegates. Thomas wrote that her letter was “not an admonition. It’s a cautionary tale.” It is posted below in its entirety.

It read like an admonition–at least. That’s how one Democratic committee chair read Thomas’s message. New Haven’s Vincent Mauro shared his reaction with two state party officials in a message obtained by Daily Ructions:

To Sarah and Chair Alves:

Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas chose Memorial Day weekend to publicly admonish delegates who left last Saturday’s convention early. That choice of timing and tone deserves some scrutiny.

The governor’s race was contested. Everything else on the agenda that day passed by acclamation — no votes, no decisions that required anyone’s presence. These are Democrats who give up their weekends to knock doors, staff phone banks, and do the unglamorous work that wins elections. They deserved better than a public rebuke over a non-issue.

It’s also worth noting that Secretary Thomas has never once, in her entire tenure, visited New Haven’s Democratic Town Committee — not to speak, not to attend an event, not to show up for the people who form the backbone of this party in our city.

Admonishing hard-working delegates on a holiday weekend, for leaving a convention where their votes weren’t even needed, says more about ego than it does about civic duty. If she wants the loyalty and attention of grassroots Democrats, the path there is showing up for them — not lecturing them after the fact.

Vin Mauro Jr.

Dear Delegate, A week ago, we gathered at the Bushnell, and I was loudly endorsed as the Democratic Party’s nominee for Secretary of the State…sort of. The truth is that many of you left right after the vote for Governor.  And as the walk-on music played for William, then Sean, then Erick, many more of you walked out.  I heard many people exclaim how they loved the atmosphere that day – how upbeat despite the contests playing out.  How wonderful to be surrounded by like-minded Democrats.  But as each constitutional officer took the stage, the frivolity was lessened by the rapidly emptying hall. It’s a shame that many of you missed Haritha, a recent UConn grad who represents the future of the party, nominate me for the office.  And you missed the heartfelt, yet funny words of Ellen, a hard-working registrar of voters who puts in the daily elbow grease required to roll out the many voting reforms that Democrats have worked hard to pass over the past three years. Sure, you can watch it all on CT-N (clip provided below), but I can’t help but think – this is a reflection of the electorate at large and the reason Donald Trump is President. There is an anonymity in large groups that makes the individual feel like they aren’t needed.  During elections, the results can be disastrous.  Voters think they can stay home because someone else will ensure the outcome.  Voters think that if a race isn’t competitive, their vote isn’t needed.  Voters think that when life happens, someone else will take their place. The truth is that there is no such thing as a “safe” election.  We can never miss a vote, assuming that someone else will fill the void.  I can’t help but dream about what could have been if all eligible Democratic voters had not made those calculations and had voted in 2016 and 2024.  This is not an admonition. It’s a cautionary tale.  Everything is on the line in 2026 and 2028.  And the same reasons that some of you walked out of the Bushnell (family events, free beer at Pratt Street, an aching back, etc.) will exist among the general population on Election Day.  There is a reason turnout drops almost 25% between Presidential elections and midterm elections in Connecticut. We, the leaders of the Democratic Party, have to model good behavior to other Democrats, and let’s grab some unaffiliateds along the way.  We can’t turn them off with negativity.  We can’t make them feel like the race is “in the bag” in Connecticut.  We can’t let them think a bad back excuses them from participating in the election. We cannot afford to have one person feel like they should stay home instead of showing up to vote this year, and every year. Take a listen to Haritha, Ellen, and me, and I hope you will be inspired (thank you CT-N.com for always being present to record these public happenings!).  A special thank you to all of you who stayed until the bitter end.  It was wonderful to see your smiling faces and hear your laughs.  I am in this role to be of service to you, the state of Connecticut, and the United States of America.  A great country that has given me much that I am not willing to lose. With deep gratitude for the nomination, and onwards to November.  Let the real work begin! Stephanie Thomas Connecticut Secretary of the State

Published May 29, 2026.

Fortune’s message points out that she likely needs a 100% buffer of the number of signatures needed because “thousands of signatures will likely be disqualified. It’s an inherent aspect of dealing with one of the most restrictive ballot access laws in the country.” She is right. The signature gathering process is a waste of time and resources. Ballot access should be much easier–as it is in most states. Incumbents make our election laws and many feat primaries more than they do general elections.

Fortune was on the Democratic town committee trail during the fall, winter and spring. She impressed many of the party faithful in the 27-town district. Discouraging primaries is a long Connecticut political tradition, keeping promising new talent from winning the recognition a primary campaign can provide.

Daily Ructions readers know that Connecticut’s ballot access obstacles are a frequent theme in this parish. If you are a registered Democrat in the First Congressional District, contact the Fortune campaign and sign Ruth Fortune’s petition–no matter who you support in the August 11th primary. Fairness matters in our democracy and access to the ballot is an early and essential measure of it.

Published May 29, 2026.

Board of Education chair Michelle Embree Ku and Newtown newcomer Brandon Moore are vying for the 106th House District nomination to take on incumbent Republican Mitch Bolinsky. Embree Ku came within just under 600 votes, 3.8%, of defeating Bolinsky in 2024.

This is Moore’s first bid for public office. He did spend four days working for Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz and was an intern in Governor Ned Lamont’s office. Moore says that while an intern for the popular governor he spent his time  “implementing workforce policies that helped thousands of residents secure well-paying jobs.”

Moore is foregoing the state’s campaign financing program and reported raising $24,863 in the first quarter of the year, much of it from outside Newtown. Embree Ku has collected $8,779, enough to qualify for a pubic grant under the Citizens Election Program.

Bolinsky ran unopposed in 2022. He has had some close races. He won his first term in 2012 by 15 votes. He was re-elected in 2014 by 908 votes. His largest margin came in 2016. That year he defeated party activist Eva Zimmerman by 1,862 votes. Zimmerman challenged Susan Bysiewicz in a primary for lieutenant governor two years later.

Embree Ku in 2024 and Rebeka Harriman Stites in 2018 and 2020 came close to tipping over Bolinsky.

Moore was busy in 2024 managing Nick Simmons’s historic campaign against Ryan Fazio, the Greenwich Republican seeking a third term in the Greenwich-based 36th Senate District. Fazio is the Republican nomination for governor. He won that competitive seat on his second try.

The combination of headwinds facing Republicans and voters’ familiarity with Embree Ku could be the winning formula that has eluded Newtown Democrats. There is something to be said for sticking with a candidate who ran a strong race, fell short, and is willing to try again. There is value for local party organizations in demonstrating loyalty to the stalwarts who put in the years on local boards and in municipal elections Or caucus goers can send a different message on what it means to labor for years for one’s community and party.

The 106th is a single-town district, a configuration that allows any registered party member in the district to participate in the nominating caucus. The endorsed candidate would face an August primary if the caucus challenger collects sufficient signatures from district Democrats.

Published May 26, 2026.

Published May 25, 2026.