Connecticut Needs a Governor Who Can Hit the Ground Running– and It’s Malloy

Running a government in a democracy may be the ultimate test of leadership.

Unlike a private sector CEO, whose company’s shareholders have a single goal (profits), a governor must balance the diverse and competing interests of the state’s shareholders (voters and other residents). And unlike a CEO, who can hire and fire, a governor can’t fire the legislature; he or she needs work with them if the business of government is to get done. It’s naive for anyone to think that private sector management skills are all one needs to be effective in government. Leading in government is harder than that.

Connecticut needs a governor who already knows his way around state and local government and can hit the ground running.  After serving as Stamford’s mayor for 14 years, Dan Malloy earned the endorsement he got from that city’s newspaper. As a former prosecutor, Malloy is tough on crime.  As a product of the working middle class, he knows how much we need good jobs that pay a living wage. Malloy believes, as I do, that we must reduce our energy costs and move to a clean energy economy; that a rigorous education and innovation are essential to competing in the 21st century economy; that government must develop—and stick to—a coherent plan with measurable goals and be accountable and transparent.   Malloy has an unmistakable fire in his belly to turn this state around and make a difference. 

While I like Tom Foley, he’s not ready for the job he campaigns for. The stakes are too high to elect a governor who doesn’t already understand  the intricacies of city-state relationships and how to navigate the complexities of our messy representative democracy.  

I'm currently registered as a Republican, but Dan Malloy has my vote.   Connecticut needs the kind of governor Malloy will be.