CT-Gov

New Poll In CT Suggests Reason For Rell Decision

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 10, 2009, 9:05AM

Gov. Jodi Rell (R-CT)

Why did Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell decide not to run for reelection? The morning after her surprise announcement, political observers across the state are still trying to figure out what happened.

A new poll out this morning from Quinnipiac University gives some insight. It shows Rell leading the top Democratic opponent in a hypothetical 2010 gubernatorial matchup by just six points, 46-40.

The poll also shows that former U.S. Senate candidate Ned Lamont is making some headway in his gubernatorial bid just a week after he announced it.

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CT-Gov

Connecticut Gov. Rell Not Running Again

Eric Kleefeld | November 9, 2009, 6:00PM

Gov. Jodi Rell (R-CT)

In a surprising piece of news, Gov. Jodi Rell (R-CT) announced today that she will not run for re-election in 2010.

Rell's Lt. Governor Michael Fedele, said that he will run for governor, and that Rell has committed to supporting him in the election.

Rell was previously Lt. Governor herself, and succeeded to the governorship in 2004 upon the resignation of Republican Gov. John Rowland, in a corruption scandal for which he later served prison time. Rell was easily elected to a full term in 2006, beating her Democratic opponent by 63%-35%.

Connecticut is a heavily Democratic state, but has not elected a Dem governor since 1986. The current field of active of potential Democratic candidates is a big one: Former state House Speaker Jim Amann, Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz, businessman and 2006 Senate nominee Ned Lamont, state Sen. Gary LeBeau, and Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy.

Ned Lamont

Ned Lamont: Why I'm Exploring A Run For Governor

Eric Kleefeld | November 4, 2009, 5:34PM

Fmr. Greenwich Selectman Ned Lamont

I just spoke to Ned Lamont, the Connecticut businessman and former Greenwich selectman who won the 2006 Democratic primary against Sen. Joe Lieberman, only to lose to the newly-independent Lieberman in the general election, and who has now formed an statewide exploratory committee for a potential run for governor.

My first question to Mr. Lamont: Does he expect to win the endorsement of the state's Junior Senator?

"I, um, I wouldn't expect that," Lamont said, after a brief pause. "But I certainly reached out to Sen. Lieberman today, if he wants to hear why I'm doing this, and why I think it's important."

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Ned Lamont

Lamont Officially Exploring Run For Governor Of Connecticut

Eric Kleefeld | November 4, 2009, 2:39PM

Fmr. Greenwich Selectman Ned Lamont

Ned Lamont has made it official -- he is exploring a run for Governor of Connecticut.

Lamont, a businessman and former Greenwich Selectman, came out of nowhere to beat Sen. Joe Lieberman in the 2006 Democratic primary, running on an anti-Iraq War platform. Lieberman then won the general election as an independent, thanks to the support of Republican voters, and has been bedeviling the Democratic leadership in Washington ever since.

Earlier today, Lamont announced the formation of a statewide exploratory committee, but did not specify exactly which office he might be seeking -- though it was rather obvious, by his criticisms of the current Republican Gov. Jodi Rell. But now it's official, that he's got his eyes on the statehouse.

Ned Lamont

Ned Lamont Announces Statewide Exploratory Committee

Eric Kleefeld | November 4, 2009, 12:43PM

Fmr. Greenwich Selectman Ned Lamont

Ned Lamont, the Connecticut businessman who defeated Sen. Joe Lieberman in the 2006 Democratic primary only to lose the general election, has now announced the formation of a statewide exploratory committee.

Lamont's press release doesn't say exactly which statewide office he'll be seeking, but the language points towards a gubernatorial campaign, with its criticism of the current Republican Gov. Jodi Rell: "Like businesses, states thrive with strong executive leadership, and they fall behind with weak leadership. As measured by the loss of jobs, young people leaving our state, and the never-ending budget crisis, Connecticut's Chief Executive is simply not getting the job done."

The full press release is available after the jump.

Late Update: Lamont has now made it official, that he is exploring a run for the governorship.

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CT-Gov

State Investigates Rell Polling

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 9, 2009, 6:45PM

Gov. M. Jodi Rell (R-CT)

Two official investigations have begun into Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell's (R) secret taxpayer-funded polling operation, revealed yesterday by the New London Day.

Rell's office used taxpayer funds earmarked for a University of Connecticut study into increasing "government efficiency" to run a secret focus groups and polls testing Rell's policies, her rhetoric and even the viability of a political rival. Rell and her administration has called Democratic outrage at the program "politics at its worst" and claimed it did nothing wrong by funding the polling.

Despite that take, twin investigations were launched into polling by the state government and the university where the polling took place. The Hartford Courant reports:

The two probes, confirmed today in interviews with officials, include:

• A joint investigation by the bipartisan Auditors of Public Accounts and Democratic state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal into whether, as Auditor Kevin Johnston put it, "state tax dollars have been used for other than strictly state purposes." Johnston, a Democrat, said that he and his Republican fellow auditor Robert Jaekle, have spoken Thursday and Friday with Blumenthal about their investigation.

• An inquiry by UConn's Office of Audit Compliance and Ethics, which university spokesman Michael Kirk said is now "examining the research associated with this project to determine if it may have violated any aspect of UConn's code of ethics. " That code includes at least one prohibition against political activity on the job.

Rell's response after the jump.

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Jodi Rell

Rell Used Public Funds To Poll About Political Rival

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 8, 2009, 5:40PM

Gov. M. Jodi Rell (R-CT)

Democrats in Connecticut are up in arms today after it was revealed that Gov. Jodi Rell (R) has been using taxpayer money to fund a secret series of polls and focus groups aimed at testing the political viability of her programs a year before she's up for reelection.

The political operation was kept secret and was hidden inside a grant given to a University of Connecticut professor that was supposed to fund a study into ways to "streamline state government," according to the New London Day, which broke the story today after a month-long investigation.

Records from the project obtained by the paper show that Dr. Kenneth Dautrich, the professor awarded the $220,000 grant and a "confidant of Rell's chief of staff," used the state money to "pepper" Rell's office with advice "on everything from income taxes to leadership qualities to the public's opinion of a potential political rival."

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