Gov. Ned Lamont, on the reelection campaign trail this year, suggested to a reporter for Hearst Connecticut that he might hang up his political gloves after serving another term as governor.

“I think eight years is a pretty good period of time to serve your state, to the best of your ability, period,” 68-year-old Lamont said in October, before winning that second term.

Still, it would surprise me if the uber-rich governor, who is so good at personal checkbook campaigning, would ultimately pass up the golden ring of aspiring rich politicians: a seat in the U.S. Senate.

After all, it is more much distinguished and statesmanlike to be a senator than a governor. And you don’t have to worry about all the pesky problems of actually running something.

I wouldn’t write Lamont out of the future of elections in Connecticut.

Don’t expect the youngish Sen. Chris Murphy to forfeit his cherished seat anytime soon. Although Murphy certainly might get into the Democratic presidential jostle once Biden inevitably announces his own political retirement.

That also makes you wonder about plans by 76-year-old Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who will be into his 80s by the time his new six-year-term ends.

I happily voted this year for Blumenthal, one of my heroes of Connecticut politics, going way back to his many years as an aggressive, consumer-protecting attorney general.

But could there be enough hair dye and carrot-munching to fuel a Blumenthal run in his late 80s? I hope not.

It makes me wince that 89-year-old Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa just won a new term. It’s just too old to serve.

In any case, Lamont is young at 68 and I see a lot more political check writing in his future, no matter what he says now.

I would hope, though, that the power brokers within all of Connecticut’s political parties — and there is some encouraging energy beyond the Democrats and Republicans — start recruiting some newer, younger talent.

I don’t see many promising young prospects for major statewide office on the horizon right now. That needs to change.

The prospects for new stars seem especially bleak within the dominant party.

Could I be the only Democrat who yawns at the prospect of new campaigns by the ambitious lieutenant governor, Susan Bysiewicz, or the lame and ineffective attorney general, William Tong?

Will Connecticut Republicans ever learn the lesson that they need to field moderate candidates for statewide office in Connecticut?

Bob Stefanowski’s expensive flameout this year, as he refused to acknowledge the dying ember of Trumpism nationally and here in bright blue Connecticut, should remain a vivid lesson for the party.

I don’t think rich Ned Lamont is even the tiniest bit more liberal than rich Bob Stefanowski. But he plays the game better.

That reminds me of my other wish for brokers in Connecticut’s political power structure: Give up the reliance of very rich self-funders.

It’s ugly and very wrong that so many of the recent major candidates for high office in Connecticut have been ego-driven self-funders.

That needs to stop, a change that is going to have to be demanded by voters because it seems to suit the political establishment, which likes to sit back and watch the spending unfold.

d.collins@theday.com

This is the opinion of David Collins