home > news > local

Who's Who of Gubernatorial Candidates

The list is growing for Republicans and Democrats wanting to be Connecticut's next Governor.

By Kristie Borges and Anne Marie Harper

| Wednesday, Nov 11, 2009 | Updated 12:30 PM EST

The list is growing for those wanting to be Connecticut's next Governor.

We are 356 days away from the 2010 election. Now that Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell has announced she’s not seeking another term as the state’s leader, the ring is getting crowded.

Let’s start with those hoping to keep a Republican in the corner office.

LAWRENCE CAFERO: House Minority Leader, Lawrence Cafero Jr., of Norwalk, is serving his eighth term in the Connecticut House of Representatives. Staying true to his Norwalk roots, Cafero even serves as an expulsion officer for the Norwalk Public School System. He grew up in Norwalk and still lives there with his wife and three children.

JOHN MCKINNEY: Senate Minority Leader, John McKinney, of Fairfield, is also thought to be on the short list of Republicans who could run for the seat. After Rell said she was not running, McKinney released a statement in part saying, “I am disappointed to learn that Governor Rell will not seek reelection, because I believe the State of Connecticut needs the kind of independent leadership she has provided since taking off.” McKinney has represented the 28^th district since 1999. He lives in Fairfield with his wife, and three children.

MICHAEL FEDELE: Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele was considered a political unknown before being named Rell’s running mate in 2006.

When he took office, he pledged to visit all 169 towns in Connecticut. According to his Web site, he is close to accomplishing that goal. Fedele is the state’s 107^th Lieutenant Governor. He was born in Italy and moved to Stamford, as a young child. He’s lived in Stamford for 50 years with his wife and three children.

The list is a little longer for the Democrats vying to become Governor.

NED LAMONT: Ned Lamont has already formed an exploratory committee. He jumped onto the political scene in Connecticut in 2006 when he defeated Sen. Joseph Lieberman in the Democratic Senate primary, which prompted Lieberman to become an Independent. Lamont was also co-chairman of the Obama campaign in Connecticut. Before running for U.S. Senate, Lamont served as selectman in the town of Greenwich. He lives in Fairfield County with his wife and three children.

JAMES AMANN: The former speaker of the state House of Representatives is the only candidate who has officially declared his candidacy. Born in Bridgeport in 1956, he grew up near the beach in Milford and spent his childhood fishing, crabbing, and exploring the shore of Long Island Sound. He was elected to represent Milford's 118th district in 1990 and served as the House majority leader from 2003 to 2005, until he was elected speaker in 2005, a post he held until January 2009. Amann and his wife of 24 years, Terri, live in Milford, where he led the Village of Devon's revitalization.

SUSAN BYSIEWICZ: The Middletown-native was first elected in 1998, and then re-elected in 2002 and 2006. She is currently serving her third term as Secretary of the State. During her tenure, she created the first statewide voter database in the nation known as the Connecticut Voter Registration System. In 2004, she started the "Safe at Home/Address Confidentiality" program. It protects domestic violence and sexual assault victims by keeping their addresses confidential. She's a graduate of Yale University and Duke University Law School. While in law school, Bysiewicz wrote the book "Ella: A Biography of Governor Ella Grasso," about the former Connecticut governor who was also the nation's first woman governor elected in her own right. Bysiewicz lives in Middletown with her husband David Donaldson and their three children.

DANNEL MALLOY: Malloy is serving his fourth term as the mayor of Stamford and is currently the longest serving mayor in the city's history. Under his leadership, the city has reduced crime, added new affordable housing and improved the educational system. He and his wife Cathy are the parents of three sons, Dannel, Ben and Sam. Malloy's oldest son, Dannel, 21, has had some legal troubles when arrested in March after trying to buy marijuana in Darien. In October, the mayor's son pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and narcotics charges. He did not go to jail but received a 10-year suspended sentence and five years of probation. He was .

GARY LeBEAU: State Sen. Gary LeBeau represents Connecticut's third district, serving the towns of East Hartford, East Windsor, South Windsor and Ellington. He was first elected to the State Senate in 1996 and is serving his sixth term. LeBeau was first elected to the Connecticut General Assembly in 1990 as a representative for East Hartford and served on the Finance Committee and as vice-chairman of the Commerce Committee. In the Senate, LeBeau fought for a state commitment to the Groton-area submarine base which helped save it from the federal budget cuts. He lives in East Hartford with his wife, Joanne, and their three children.

RUDY MARCONI: Ridgefield's first selectman describes himself as "a hometown success story." In 1995, the Ridgefield-native became involved with local politics and won a seat on the Planning and Zoning Commission, where he served two terms, but lost his bid for the top job in 1997. In 1999, and for the first time in over 50 years, the Democrat unseated the incumbent Republican First Selectman. Rudy and his wife of 26 years, Peggy, have a daughter, three sons and two grandsons.

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal says he won't run for governor. Instead, he'll seek re-election as Attorney General but might also consider a run against Sen. Joe Lieberman.

Photos and Videos