Good news for the Democrats, as popular moderate Republican governor Jodi Rell announces she will not run for re-election. This will be the Democrats' best chance to win the statehouse since Bill O'Neill won it in the late 1980s.
This sets up a very interesting race for 2010, as there really are no prominent Republicans in the state outside of recently beaten politicians like Rob Simmons, Nancy Johnson and Chris Shays. And, none of them had anywhere near Rell's popularity when they were in office. Edited to add - the Courant article goes on to say that Simmons will not be a candidate for governor.
Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell Won't Seek Re-Election
An emotional Gov. M. Jodi Rell announced Monday that she will not seek re-election next year, signaling the end of a tenure that brought her the highest popularity ratings in Connecticut history and setting off a scramble to replace her when she steps down in January 2011.
Rell gave no specific reason for her stunning announcement, saying only that "it's time" to leave high-level public office after a long career that includes more than five years as governor, 10 years as lieutenant governor and 10 years as a state legislator.
Rell choked up several times as she recounted exchanges with state voters who offered a simple thank you for her work in office.
"I love being governor, and I love the people of Connecticut," Rell said at a hastily called news conference. "The challenges of the job have been — and continue to be — many. The rewards are incalculable. But, at some point, you know inside that it is time to begin a new chapter in life."
http://www.courant.com/...
Also could make things interesting for the Democrats. Does long-rumored candidate Dick Blumenthal, the popular attorney general, get into the race? Does the exploratory committee that Ned Lamont formed last week now move forward with a little more urgency? Maybe one of the state's representatives in Congress - Larson, DeLauro, Himes, Murphy & Courtney?
Of course, there are a few candidates that have been running for governor for a while now, including Sec. of State Susan Bysiewicz and former Stamford mayor Dannell Malloy.