HARTFORD, Conn. — Bob Stefanowski sat down with FOX61 to discuss his latest announcement: He will be entering the Connecticut 2022 gubernatorial race.
Stefanowski made the announcement Wednesday morning and also launched his campaign website.
In 2018, Stefanowski ran against Gov. Ned Lamont, saying that if elected he would eliminate the state income tax. He lost by about 44,000 votes out of 1.4 million casts. Now he's back for a second run against Lamont, who has already announced he will be running for re-election this year.
"We've got a broader platform this time," Stefanowski explained. "I've got the leadership, I've got the experience of running, we're gonna come in, we're gonna listen to people, we're gonna lead Connecticut in the right direction, we're gonna with the election we're gonna turn this state around."
With an initial $10 million investment of his own money into his campaign, Stefanowski said that it will bring a "big jumpstart for us."
In 2018, Stefanowski did not attempt to win delegates at the state GOP's convention, but ran in the Republican primary, beating Mark Boughton, the party-endorsed candidate, and three other candidates to secure the nomination.
Susan Patricelli Regan has also entered the 2022 race as a GOP candidate, and former legislative leader Themis Klarides has been exploring a run.
Stefanowski emphasized that he will put people before politics when it comes to his campaign and potential administration. He told FOX61 his platform will focus on addressing the following questions:
Affordability: "How do we get people to live easier in Connecticut? Costs are spiraling out of control; utility bills, inflation, filling up your gas tank."
Crime: "How do we get crime under control? Hartford and New Haven had their most violent year here in decades last year."
Government accountability and transparency: "People are sending $20 billion to Hartford every year. They want to know how that money is being spent, they want to have visibility...They want to make sure that the money is budgeted properly just like every other family in Connecticut sits down with a monthly budget."
The CT Dems Chair Nancy DiNardo released a statement following Stefanowski's announcement, saying in part, "Bob Stefanowski is too extreme for Connecticut. His economic plan for our state would have devastated schools, rolled back health care, and laid off health care workers."
Watch the full interview above.
Bob Stefanowski will return to FOX61 to join Jenn Bernstein on The Real Story, Sunday at 10 a.m. on FOX61.
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