Cuomo, Lamont raise money for Conn. Dems, discuss friendship
HARTFORD — For the past 18 months, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont has cultivated an increasingly close, personal friendship with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a national figure with far more political experience than Lamont.
Cuomo has become a mentor to Lamont as they seek regional solutions on everything from COVID19 to public policies like the legalization of recreational marijuana, which is currently illegal in both states.
On Tuesday night, Cuomo displayed the friendship as the headliner in raising money for Connecticut Democrats in a virtual event that attracted more than 250 supporters at $25 apiece. The two governors bantered for 30 minutes in a conversational format on politics, the pandemic, and more.
As a student of politics, Cuomo watched closely when his father, Mario, dealt with governors in the tri-state region from 1983 to 1995. He has also dealt with numerous governors himself during his 10 years in office, and he said Lamont ranks high.
“If you want to be in a foxhole with someone, you want to be in a foxhole with NedLamont,’’ Cuomo said. “Ned’s counsel to me and advice to mewasveryimportant. .... Ned has always been there for me on a personal level. The states have worked better together than I have ever seen it. You’ve never had this relationship between Connecticut and New York.’’
As they both used extraordinary powers over their states with executive orders, the two governors shared tips about leadership and the difficulties of economic disruptions in order to stop the fast-spreading virus.
“We’ve talked about this — Ned and I — at length,” Cuomo said. “Stay home. Close your business. Wear a mask. Stay six feet apart. When has government ever said that? It’s not that government could enforce any of this. ... You cannot send the Connecticut state troopers and the NewYork state troopers to make sure you stay in your home. ... We didn’t make people stay home. They did it themselves.”
To start the fundraiser, Lamont explained to his fellow Democrats how he got to meet Cuomo. After some discussion with a mutual friend and the staff, Lamont learned that a great way to engage Cuomo was on a fishing trip. That prompted Lamont to fly from his summer home in August 2019 to meet the governor on Lake Ontario.
“I pretended I loved fishing,”
Lamont said, initially thinking they would meet somewhere near the end of Long Island Sound. “It was the best fishing trip I’ve ever had. That relationship, Andrew, was so important for me, the state of Connecticut, and our region because four or five months later, we got hit, and it wasn’t a cyberattack. It was an attack of COVID.”
Despite generating headlines and being on television constantly, Cuomosaid the two governors had relatively easy jobs behind desks as essential employees worked in the trenches.
“We did have heroes who rose amongst us,” Cuomo said. “These were the blue-collar workers. They got out there and did the job. ... We’re not driving the bus. We’re not a nurse, and we’re not a doctor. We had the easy job going through this.”
Lamont, who described Cuomo as “a good partner and a good friend,” predicted the New York partnership will continue.
“I think we’re just getting started,” Lamontsaid. “These states are artificial borders. What’s good for Andrew is good for Connecticut, and I hope vice versa. We’re just getting started.”