LISTEN: Scoring Lamont's COVID Performance

As we reflect on our year of living with the coronavirus, the consensus seems to be that Gov. Ned Lamont has performed well in dealing with the pandemic. Mark Pazniokas of the Connecticut Mirror joined All Things Considered to talk about a column he wrote recently, titled Ned Lamont’s Year in the Shadow of COVID.Pazniokas talks about how the governor's actions during the pandemic have helped him rebound from a rocky start in office. He also talks about the criticism Lamont has gotten for the racial disparities apparent in outcomes during this pandemic, and the inconsistent performance of the Department of Public Health. He touches on whether the money the state is getting from the federal American Rescue Plan is just delaying a true showdown with structural budget problems; and if Lamont's pandemic performance will make him tough to beat in the next election.