Former Gov. M. Jodi Rell, who steadied the state after scandals that caused the resignation of Gov. John G. Rowland, died Wednesday in Florida at age 78.
Rell died in a Florida hospital after a brief illness, said her son, Michael.
In her youth, Rell had never aspired to be governor. But she started serving in the state legislature in the 1980s and then served as lieutenant governor under Rowland for 10 years. She became governor effective July 1, 2004 and served until January 2011.
Following Ella Grasso, Rell was the second female governor in Connecticut history.
Not doing it again
In one of her last major public appearances last year, Rell made a series of incisive comments.
One was that she would not do it again.
Despite rising to the highest level of Connecticut politics as governor, Rell said if she had a chance to do it all over, with today’s bitter political polarization and personal vitriol, she would not run for elective office.
“No,” Rell said. “It’s become ugly. I’m sad to say that. … No, I wouldn’t do it. But at the same time, how many people are going to say no to public service because things have turned so ugly? I think we need to change that if we ever want people to serve in the legislature, to run for the governor’s office, to be on the school board. If you turn them off by the discourse, we’re not going to get them.”
Rell made her comments on stage Wednesday night at the University of Hartford during a one-hour conversation with Gov. Ned Lamont on civility in politics. The two leaders participated in a discussion in front of a live audience and took questions from a moderator.
Sitting next to Rell on stage, Lamont appeared stunned by Rell’s answer.
“That’s the most discouraging thing I’ve heard all day — that Jodi Rell says, ‘I would never get into [politics] given how ugly’ ” the landscape has become, Lamont said. “We’ve got to change that.”
Rell quickly made a distinction between not running for office and public service.
“Being here tonight is part of public service,” Rell told the crowd of about 150 people at the university’s Millard Auditorium.
Christopher Keating can be reached at [email protected]
Originally Published:
