Bridgeport, CT — State Rep. and Democratic Caucus Co-Chair Josh Elliott appeared at a gubernatorial candidate forum hosted by FaithActs for Education in Bridgeport on Tuesday evening. Elliott — a five-term state representative from Hamden — appeared at the forum alongside his primary opponent, Governor Ned Lamnot, and Republican State Senator Ryan Fazio.

“People will sometimes say you can’t throw money at the problem. But if you take money away, it’s not going to get better,” Elliott said when asked about Connecticut’s current education funding system. “It is the state’s responsibility to be sending resources back to municipalities that don’t have the taxable base to make sure that everybody, regardless of skin color, has access to an equitable education, and that we are looking on the back end to make sure that everybody is getting the same results.”

Later in the forum, Elliott emphasized his campaign’s focus on the cost of living. “The statistic that makes people’s jaws drop is that the average age of a first-time home-buyer is 40 years-old. So when I’m talking to younger people, I’m trying to paint a picture of the economy that we have built,” Elliott said when asked about keeping Black and Latino young voters in the state. “It’s time for all of us to come together and start making those investments. So that younger folk can feel like they want to stay here. That they can stay here.”

Elliott and Lamont are next scheduled to appear together at a WTNH televised debate on July 22nd. Lamont has turned down other invitations to debate in a live setting.