Even though Republicans dominated the national elections, Democrats actually gained seats in the Connecticut General Assembly. In fact, they now have enough votes to override Gov. Ned Lamont’s vetoes.

Republicans are concerned that Democrats will use their wider majority to get around the state’s strict spending limits. But Lamont said he’s not concerned.

For the first time since he took office in 2019, Lamont is facing a Democratic majority that can override his vetoes. His party now holds at least 102 seats in the Connecticut House and 25 seats in the state Senate – the party’s biggest majority in nearly four decades.

“I don't think it’ll make any difference. We work together pretty well. We work across the aisle pretty well,” Lamont said. “There's a fairly large moderate caucus in both the House and the Senate as well, so you can’t break down everything Democrat and Republican.”

But the fiscally conservative governor has clashed with fellow Democrats over spending, especially on education and social services. Money will be tight next year after federal pandemic aid runs out. Plus, despite years of budget surpluses, Connecticut’s strict “fiscal guardrails” limit how much lawmakers will be able to spend.

Republicans worry that Democrats will try to loosen the guardrails.

“Yes, you could spend more money, but is that a sustainable spend?” asked state Rep. Vin Candelora (R-North Branford), the House Republican leader.

But Democratic House Speaker Matt Ritter doesn’t expect major changes from his party.

“We may have 102 [members], but the reality is, that in any given bill, you’re going to have defectors probably from various policies,” Ritter said. “We don’t have a litmus test. We don't tell members what to do or how to vote. We let members be themselves.”

While Democrats fared well here, Republicans now control Washington. And how President-elect Donald Trump will impact Connecticut is anyone’s guess.

“I’ve got all of our commissioners working with Dan DeSimone – who’s our guy in Washington – to see what coming out of the incoming Trump administration,” Lamont said. “How that will affect Connecticut and how that will affect our budget.”

Trump’s election has already had one big impact. On Tuesday, Lamont announced that he will no longer pursue a mandate that all new cars be electric by 2035. Lamont backed off the controversial proposal last year after drivers protested, and now says it won't come back.

“We were following, you know, the federal standards. And I think the federal standards are no more,” Lamont said. “Elon Musk, founder of Tesla, is a strong believer that EVs are a big part of our energy future, so there will be a discussion. I doubt it’s mandates, but I think there may still be some incentives.”

For now, Connecticut is still tied to the current federal standard, which requires 56% of new cars to be electric by 2032. But Trump’s nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency, former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin, is expected to roll back the EPA mandate.

“This is a victory for Connecticut taxpayers," said state Republicans said in a statement. "But we must continue to stay vigilant. The EV mandate idea will no doubt be brought up again by majority Democrats in the state legislature."

Both parties do agree on one thing. They’re hoping that Congress will restore the State and Local Taxes (SALT) deduction, which previously let homeowners deduct high property and income tax bills from federal income taxes.

Candelora said it’s in Connecticut’s best interest to work with the new administration. “What I worry is, that Democrats in Connecticut are going to want to send a message nationally and go the other way,” he said. “I don’t think as a state it's a good idea to become an outlier.”