As widely expected, Themis Klarides to formally 'consider' a run for governor FacebookTwitterEmail Themis Klarides, the former House minority leader, has taken the first steps toward running for the Republican nomination for governor in 2022.Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media Themis Klarides, the former Republican leader of the state House of Representatives who didn’t run for re-election last year so she could run for governor, announced Wednesday she is taking a first step toward the higher office. Klarides, a delegate for former President Donald Trump in 2016 but not in 2020, faces tough hurdles in the form of a likely run by fellow Republican Bob Stefanowski, the party’s 2018 nominee who ran a strong race; then, if she beats Stefanowski, she will have a likely general election campaign against Gov. Ned Lamont, whose popularity has surged during the coronavirus pandemic.