Gov. Ned Lamont says he's hiring from within his administration to fill two key staff positions as he works to ensure a smooth transition to his second term, which starts Jan. 4.
Chief of staff Paul Mounds and general counsel Nora Dannehy are leaving voluntarily. Mounds will be replaced by policy director and deputy chief of staff Jonathan Dach. Outgoing state comptroller Natalie Braswell will be the new general counsel.
During a Tuesday morning news conference at the Capitol, Lamont credited Mounds and Dannehy for their leadership through the darkest days of the ongoing pandemic. Mounds coordinated the state's massive response, while Dannehy plowed through a multitude of legal hurdles.
"She stepped in (Dannehy) in the midst of COVID and executive orders and emergency declarations," says Lamont, "and stepped up every day and was my most trusted person."
"I couldn't have done it without him (Mounds)," Lamont adds. "It's a 24/7 job... he's earned the right to recharge his batteries."
Mounds says he's put everything he has into the role: "I'm leaving here with a smile on my face, but I also know I left it all on the field."
Dach, soon to be chief of staff, has worked for Lamont since his 2018 campaign. "President Biden likes to remind us that it's never a good bet to bet against America," says Dach. "In the past four years, Gov. Lamont and his team have proved it's never a good bet to bet against Connecticut, either. And in the next four years, we're going to double down on that."
"I have a high degree of confidence that Jonny's going to be able to pick up where Paul left off," says Lamont.
Braswell became state comptroller when Kevin Lembo stepped down for medical reasons at the start of 2022. Her term expires at the end of the year (she'll be replaced by Sean Scanlon, who won a statewide election last week). She says, "My year as comptroller has been a whirlwind, both exhilarating and oftentimes exhausting, but it's only strengthened my commitment to our state and my sincere belief that better days are ahead."
Gov. Lamont says more changes are ahead before his second term begins. He declined comment on rumors that David Lehman, who heads the Dept. of Economic and Community Development, is planning to leave the job.
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Gov. Lamont says he'll call for a special session of the General Assembly to extend the suspension of the 25-cent state gas tax beyond its current expiration date of Dec. 1.