The reelection campaign of Gov. Ned Lamont took on a new leader Friday: the governor’s chief of staff, Matt Brokman. Brokman leaves the administration to assume the title of campaign chairman and a hands-on role in steering a campaign that changed last weekend when state Rep. Josh Elliott of H amden qualified for a Democratic primary in August. Natalie Wagner, the governor’s deputy chief of staff, is taking over Brokman’s role at the Capitol for the duration of the campaign. The timing of Brokman’s move inevitably invites speculation of a shakeup. But the governor was quick to note Brokman is an addition to a campaign operation that is remaining intact with Francesca Capodilupo as its manager. So, why make the move? “He’s a great chief of staff. He knows everything we’ve accomplished in this legislative session,” Lamont said in a telephone interview. “Now we’re in a different mode.” Lamont said the Republican nominee, Sen. Ryan Fazio, “already is in general-election mode. I’ve got a something of a two-front war.” The governor and his staff said the change was planned, not a reaction to Elliott’s relative success at the convention. “The campaign is going to be staffing up, especially around field [organizing],” said Rob Blanchard, who left Lamont’s administration as its communication director a month ago to join the campaign. Brokman joined the governor’s staff in January 2023 as a senior adviser charged with overseeing legislative, policy and external affairs, and he became the governor’s chief of staff 18 months later. He quickly became the top adviser on policy and politics, trusted by the governor and the first lady, Annie Lamont, a successful venture capitalist who has been a sounding board on key appointments. “For me, he’s been the guy that really knows this building inside and out and has been able to deal with some of the stickiest issues we have,” Lamont said when he named Brokman as chief of staff. “Matt Brokman has probably the most important currency there is in this building, and that’s trust.” Lamont was slow to respond to the challenge from Elliott, whose campaign began last year with an unclear mission: Was the liberal lawmaker trying to raise issues and move the governor to the left, or was he trying to unseat him? Elliott, who has visited 135 of the 169 Democratic town committees in the state, says his goal is winning the nomination. He said the governor’s campaign ignored him at its peril. “They’re chasing their tails now, as of a few weeks ago, because they just didn’t think that I was a serious candidate, and I loved that,” Elliott said last month. “That was the best — the best thing they could do was underestimate me.” Lamont won 75% of the convention vote last weekend, but Elliott’s 25% was the best showing by a challenger to an incumbent governor in nearly half a century. He needed only 15% to qualify for the primary. Brokman was a top House Democratic staffer for six years before joining the Lamont administration. His last legislative job was chief of staff to House Majority Leader Jason Rojas, D-East Hartford, and he played a major role in overseeing legislative election strategy and organization. “He comes from a campaign and political world. He’ll return to that with these skills in this iteration of the campaign,” Blanchard said. Brokman declined to be interviewed. Lamont had tried to place Brokman as the executive director of the Connecticut Democratic Party in November 2021 as the governor was ramping up his campaign for reelection to a second term in 2022. But Brokman declined the post after concerns about potential conflicts. Aside from concerns about an executive director working less than full time in a statewide election year, the dual posts also would have put Brokman in the awkward position of overseeing fundraising and working on legislation. Legislators are barred from raising money during legislative sessions, a recognition that soliciting or accepting contributions from persons who may have interests in pending legislation can pose a conflict of interest or appearance of a conflict. ...read more read less