To: Josh Elliott and Campaign Staff

From: Mark Stewart

Re: Boosting Josh Elliott Prospects; re-Invigorating Democracy

Hi Josh. The lack of interest by media and by groups who could be propelling your candidacy is distressing. Eight years ago, I, a nobody Gov. candidate, had multiple invitations to debates and speaking events at this time in the cycle. That was with an "open seat" for governor. By December 2017 there were at least seven declared Democrats and five declared Republicans.

I'd like to help you receive prominence, and with it bring more voters into the picture on issues. You may have seen that I am a CGA candidate; though I don't expect to win, I hope to make issues salient and make future competition (2028 onward) more robust.

I have the willingness to get into the Governor's race again. No, I will not seek to primary. For credibility I would hold out that I will follow through as an unaffiliated, but that would only happen if some mega-donor came along AND there were somehow viral voter support. But it would give me the cred to give some stodgy CGA seat-holders more serious competition.

A Proposal for Public Engagement

If YOU want to debate issues, I am thus game. We could stage monthly events, always with an invitation to Gov. Lamont; he'll spurn them, but with it at least some media we can show the EMPTY seat he chooses not to occupy.

You and I differ on only one big issue that I know. We are both pro-worker, pro-environment, pro-education, and pro-Civil Rights. We both want to see the meek uplifted in status, happiness and wealth. We differ on means – you'd like to see these changes come largely through government programs while I, not trusting of any large programs, prefer to produce these changes privately. Where we disagree, it's not on personality – I continue to admire your steadfast straightforwardness.

Debates / Forums might allow all your desired solutions to gain adherents. They might engender some "meet-half-way" solutions. Either way, they put thinkers and would-be DOERS into a spotlight for voters.

Let me or my manager, Mr. Ambrosio, know if you'd like to publicly engage in some way next month.

Mark Stewart

Mark Stewart, a Democrat known as "Stewart for Hartford", has declared himself as a General Assembly Candidate. He will run as an "independent" aided by the "EPIC Party", a group he co-founded as a party that publicizes and facilitates the "outs".

He seeks seats in three districts that have frequently gone without challengers, one each in Hartford, East Hartford, and West Hartford.

Independent candidacies for multiple seats are permitted by CT law. Should the candidate win in two districts, the one in which he does not choose to take domicile holds a special election in early 2027.