Could it be a “three-peat” for Gov. Ned Lamont?

After a year of speculation, Lamont said he is strongly leaning toward running for a nearly unprecedented third term as Connecticut’s leader.

“I'm thinking about it seriously. I love the job. I think we’ve had extraordinary progress,” he told reporters on Thursday. “That’s not a yes or a no, though. That’s a way of saying I’m thinking about it seriously. I’m thinking about it with [Lt. Gov.] Susan [Bysiewicz]. I’m thinking about it with Annie Lamont.”

The governor said that six months ago, he was likely to pass the torch. But that changed when President Donald Trump moved into the White House.

“It’s also an incredibly complicated time right now. You know, starting with all the uncertainty in Washington, the increased possibility of a recession,” Lamont said. “So maybe it’s a time where experience makes a difference.”

Lamont is one of the nation’s most popular governors, with a 62% approval rating in an April Morning Consult poll. But 44% of voters think he shouldn’t run again, according to a University of New Hampshire survey from May.

“I think he’s a good governor and I’d vote for him again,” said Steve Kapp, of Norwalk.

Lamont also appeals to some Republicans, like Henry Hawley, from New Canaan.

“I would consider him to be a pretty much moderate,” Hawley said. “If we were running, depending on who the Republican were, I would probably vote for him.”

On the Republican side, most attention is on New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart, who launched an exploratory committee in January. Westport First Selectwoman Jenn Tooker officially joined the race in March.

Former U.S. Senate candidate Matt Corey recently announced a bid for lieutenant governor.

Despite his poll numbers, GOP leaders think Lamont is vulnerable.

“The budget wholly ignores the middle class,” said Connecticut House Republican leader Vin Candelora (R-North Branford). “There is nothing in here that gives any property tax relief or income tax relief for those individuals.”

But Lamont can claim key victories this year.

State lawmakers approved his free child care program, a new $250 tax break for 85,000 lower-income families and bipartisan legislation to lower electric bills by a modest $10 a month.

The General Assembly also passed the governor’s plan to cap prescription drug prices, expanded protections against federal immigration raids and made it easier to sue gun makers.

Lamont did not offer a timetable for making a final decision. But if he steps aside, numerous Democrats eager to take his place.

“I’m a lot more inclined and interested in keeping going – to keep this positive momentum – than I was, say, six months or a year ago,” Lamont said.

Only one other governor has managed to win a third term in modern times, Republican John Rowland. But Rowland resigned in 2004, amid a corruption scandal that sent him to prison. Trump recently pardoned him.