Bob Stefanowski

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Bob Stefanowski

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 8, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

Fairfield University, 1984

Graduate

Cornell University, 1992

Personal

Profession

Consultant

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Campaign TikTok

Personal website

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

float:right;
border:1px solid #FFB81F;
background-color: white;
width: 250px;
font-size: .9em;
margin-bottom:0px;

} .infobox p { margin-bottom: 0; } .widget-row { display: inline-block; width: 100%; margin-top: 1px; margin-bottom: 1px; } .widget-row.heading { font-size: 1.2em; } .widget-row.value-only { text-align: center; background-color: grey; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.value-only.white { background-color: #f9f9f9; } .widget-row.value-only.black { background-color: #f9f9f9; color: black; } .widget-row.Democratic { background-color: #003388; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Republican { background-color: red; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Independent, .widget-row.Nonpartisan, .widget-row.Constitution { background-color: grey; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Libertarian { background-color: #f9d334; color: black; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Green { background-color: green; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-key { width: 43%; display: inline-block; padding-left: 10px; vertical-align: top; font-weight: bold; } .widget-value { width: 57%; float: right; display: inline-block; padding-left: 10px; word-wrap: break-word; } .widget-img { width: 150px; display: block; margin: auto; } .clearfix { clear: both; }

Bob Stefanowski (Republican Party) ran for election for Governor of Connecticut. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.

In addition to running as a Republican Party candidate, Stefanowski cross-filed to also run with the Independent Party in 2018.

Biography

Bob Stefanowski earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from Fairfield University in 1984 and a master's degree in business administration from Cornell University in 1992. Stefanowski's career experience includes working as an independent consultant, the CEO of DFC Global, the chief financial officer of UBS, the chairman and managing partner of the Americas and Asia of 3i Group, a CEO of multiple units of General Electric, a litigation consultant with Freeman & Mills Inc., and a senior auditor with PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Elections

2022

See also: Connecticut gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2022

General election

General election for Governor of Connecticut

Incumbent Ned Lamont defeated Bob Stefanowski, Robert Hotaling, and Michelle Louise Bicking in the general election for Governor of Connecticut on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ned Lamont (D / Working Families Party / Griebel Frank for CT Party)	56.0	710,186
		Bob Stefanowski (R)	43.0	546,209
		Robert Hotaling (Independent Party)	1.0	12,400
		Michelle Louise Bicking (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	98

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,268,893
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Aaron Lewis (L)

Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Ned Lamont advanced from the Democratic primary for Governor of Connecticut.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Bob Stefanowski advanced from the Republican primary for Governor of Connecticut.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Susan Patricelli Regan (R)
• Themis Klarides (R)

2018

See also: Connecticut gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018

See also: Connecticut gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 14 Republican primary)

General election

General election for Governor of Connecticut

Ned Lamont defeated Bob Stefanowski, Oz Griebel, Rod Hanscomb, and Mark Stewart Greenstein in the general election for Governor of Connecticut on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ned Lamont (D)	49.4	694,510
		Bob Stefanowski (R)	46.2	650,138
		Oz Griebel (Griebel Frank for CT Party)	3.9	54,741
	Submit photo	Rod Hanscomb (L)	0.4	6,086
		Mark Stewart Greenstein (Amigo Constitution Party)	0.1	1,254
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	74

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,406,803
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Kameron Scott (Independent)
• Micah Welintukonis (Independent)
• Thomas Ford (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Connecticut

Ned Lamont defeated Joe Ganim in the Democratic primary for Governor of Connecticut on August 14, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ned Lamont	81.2	172,567
	Submit photo	Joe Ganim	18.8	39,976

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 212,543
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Jonathan Harris (D)
• Lee Whitnum (D)
• Betheona Guiles-Smith (D)
• Guy Smith (D)
• Jacey Wyatt (D)
• Luke Bronin (D)
• Sean Connolly (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Connecticut

Bob Stefanowski defeated Mark Boughton, David Stemerman, Tim Herbst, and Steve Obsitnik in the Republican primary for Governor of Connecticut on August 14, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Bob Stefanowski	29.4	42,041
		Mark Boughton	21.3	30,475
		David Stemerman	18.3	26,177
		Tim Herbst	17.5	25,063
		Steve Obsitnik	13.4	19,102

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 142,858
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Eric Mastroianni (R)
• David Walker (R)
• Antonietta Boucher (R)
• Dave Walker (R)
• Peter Thalheim (R)
• Joseph Visconti (R)
• Mark Lauretti (R)
• Peter Lumaj (R)
• Prasad Srinivasan (R)
• Scott Merrell (R)
• Michael Handler (R)

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Bob Stefanowski did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Stefanowski's campaign website stated the following:

“	Public Safety Residents, parents, teachers, community leaders and law enforcement are all concerned about rising crime in Connecticut and have begged Governor Lamont and Democrats to do something about it. Sadly, those cries for help have gone unanswered. I’m running for Governor because residents have a right to feel safe in their homes and communities. During one of the deadliest years in Connecticut’s cities in recent history last year, the answer from the Governor and Democrat leaders in charge of state government wasn’t to invest in our law enforcement and give them the tools to do their jobs, it was to maintain the status quo. You deserve better. We need serious reforms to address early intervention and accountability. We need to establish intervening programs for arrests associated with drug and alcohol addictions and help people. Violent and repeat juvenile offenders need to know there are consequences for their actions. The Governor has ignored the pleas of victims, parents, guardians and community leaders. The denial of reality from this Governor has resulted in clear and present danger to the people of Connecticut.. Law enforcement keeps all our communities safe so that they can thrive. We must roll back the broad-brush approach to criminal justice reform that makes it harder for the good officers to do their jobs while ensuring we root out bad cops who give their brothers and sisters in blue a bad name. Not only is Governor Lamont ignoring residents, parents, victims and community leaders and the violence against young people of color, but he compounds his error by the lack of confidence from his own state police force, with 97% of state troopers expressing zero confidence in his ability to lead them and their refusal to endorse him for re-election I will advocate for a holistic approach to reform, not limited to the scope of criminal justice, but all-inclusive. We cannot wish these serious problems away nor can we ignore crime that we either see for ourselves or read about every day. We need local law enforcement, working with parents, and community leaders to tackle rising crime and evaluate their own police departments, and if there are problems, then we work together to fix them. Affordability I don’t need CNBC or a poll to tell me that it’s hard to afford life in Connecticut. As I travel across the state I hear it every day from families, people who have retired on a fixed income and even those fresh out of school. People love Connecticut and don’t want to leave, but many simply can’t afford to live here anymore. As a result, United Van Lines reported that there were only three states that had more people move out in 2021 than Connecticut. What’s frustrating is that politicians in state government throw up their hands and refuse to do anything about it. Inflation is hitting Connecticut residents especially hard. Prices are surging – the highest rate in almost 40 years – and the State of Connecticut is raking in millions on the backs of hard-working residents who are begging for a break. I refuse to accept that the people of this state have to put their own dreams aside because the money they work so hard to earn doesn’t go as far as it should. To put it simply, the state government doesn’t do its part to live within its means and protect every single penny they get from the people of this state and be accountable for every expense. When I’m Governor, it will. I’m running for Governor because we need elected leaders in our state who work for you, to change the status quo and make Connecticut more affordable. As a kid growing up in North Haven, my family was probably a lot like yours. We never had a lot, but we always had enough. My Dad worked his way up from the mailroom at The Southern New England Telephone Company and rose to management; – while my mom was a unionized clerk who went back to work to help put us through college. Today, the sad reality is that the dream my parents worked so hard to fulfill and to provide for my sisters and me, is almost entirely out of reach. Even though some state politicians don’t seem to recognize that, we all live it every day. As a businessman, I know what it will take to get this state back on track. Our state is so expensive that $100 is only worth $92.59. This ranks us, the fifth most expensive state in the nation. Electricity prices are the highest in the continental United States and the cost of childcare is the fourth highest in the country. We have the second-highest state and local taxes, – currently at a rate of 12.8%- and every family in Connecticut is feeling it in their wallets. To be blunt, nearly everything in our state is more expensive than the rest of the country. So how are we going to make Connecticut more affordable? We’re going to take a holistic approach. The problems are too big to solve with one tax, or one budget cut. JUMP-START IMMEDIATE TAX RELIEF: There’s no doubt that Connecticut needs a tax overhaul. The system we have isn’t working for residents and job creators, and they need immediate relief. Did you know that of the 340 taxes the state collects, the bottom 200 only generate 0.22% of the state budget, some even cost more to collect than they generate in revenue? I’m going to eliminate these taxes on day one, directing my Tax Commissioner to stop collecting them. I’m calling on the legislature and the Governor to immediately cut the sales tax, the gross receipts tax on gas and eliminate Ned Lamont’s new tax on restaurants and prepared foods to address soaring inflation; if they fail to act, I will. Inflation is higher now than at any point in the last 40 years. People are paying too much already, and the State of Connecticut shouldn’t be profiting off a national economic disaster while people are struggling. Lower taxes from the bottom-up. We’re going to address property tax reform, and it starts with reducing government spending to provide relief to residents paying more and more taxes each year on their cars and home. ACCOUNTABLE SPENDING: I will immediately direct state auditors to begin the fiscal root canal Connecticut desperately needs. An audit of all state government and quasi-public agencies will root out waste fraud and abuse, and make sure that every dollar paid in taxes is being maximized. People know Connecticut is expensive, but they need to trust that every penny they send to the state government is spent wisely. TAKE ON UTILITIES: Connecticut residents and job creators pay the highest utility rates in the continental United States. The average electric bill in Connecticut is $197.70 per month. This is crushing working families, seniors on a fixed income, and small businesses. This is outrageous. We need a new regulatory team and a new approach. The first step will be assembling a team of industry experts, and consumer advocates to identify immediate reforms that will lower rates and create accountability and transparency. We need to especially rethink electricity generation and delivery. I will separate PURA, the state’s utility regulator, from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and have new appointees to both agencies whose mission will be affordability, accountability and safety. My new appointees will not rubber-stamp high profits for utility monopolies that are making your life harder. A utility’s companies profit, and management compensation will be based on performance, not guaranteed by the state government as it currently is. Utility executives should not be making millions of dollars while consumers are waiting days, or even weeks for their power to come back on after a major storm. Accountability We need to elect leaders in state government who value every tax dollar they spend as much as you – the person earning it – does. Too often politicians in state government treat your hard-earned income like it came from a board game and not the product of your blood, sweat and tears. I’m running for Governor because we need state government working for you, not well-connected, political insiders. One party Democrat rule of the state has created a culture of complacency and leniency for politicians and political insiders to run amok. Making excuses for insider dealing, rather than calling it out will only lead to a continuation of the status quo. Changing the culture of any organization starts at the top. It begins with accountability and transparency. Here’s my plan: All state accounts, starting with the billions of dollars spent by state and local governments in COVID-19 relief funds, and including quasi-public agencies need a thorough review. We must target waste, fraud and abuse and cut it out. Our state needs a fiscal root canal. State government needs to maximize every single tax dollar – you work hard to pay your bills and the bills for the state of Connecticut – the State should do whatever it can to prove they’re doing that too Strengthen Ethics Laws. We must prohibit conflicts of interest and ensure that politicians and their family members can never profit from the positions they hold. I will strengthen the state ethics laws and restore funding and staff to the state contracting review board that was gutted by Governor Lamont. Promote Tax Transparency. How many times have politicians in the state capital told you they were going to spend your money one way and then turned around and done something totally different? You – the taxpayer – have a right to know how every dollar is being spent and the justification for why. In today’s internet age, that information should be a click away. Eliminate Political Perks. As a business leader, one of the things I prided myself on was cutting perks for executives. Expensive cars, corner offices, and other fringe benefits sent the wrong message to employees and shareholders that top executives could play by a different set of rules. I’m going to do the same in state government. Whether it’s the $2,100 taxpayer-funded leather chair that Governor Lamont settles into each morning, the $80,000 in COVID relief money he used to produce videos of political speeches or privileged parking spots for politicians, we are going to send a message to everyone that the reward of holding public office lies in the service, not the perks. Stronger Connecticut Cities People are looking for leadership, not excuses. If rising crime, the highest unemployment in the nation, massive education achievement gaps and lack of affordability are acceptable public policy outcomes, the political system and those who control it have failed. I’m running for Governor because the status quo is crushing Connecticut’s largest cities and I want to provide a safer environment, a better quality of education, and a more affordable cost of living to return our cities and the rest of the state to prosperity. Connecticut’s major cities experienced one of the most violent and deadly years in recent history last year while the people elected to serve these communities largely made excuses and looked the other way. Children afraid to go to school, teenagers committing heinous crimes, parents and community leaders left without the tools to make it stop. We need to make our schools centers of excellence, that serve the whole community and empower students and their parents to achieve their highest potential. If local schools are failing local students, we need to give parents the choice to find a school that works for them. Our cities need to be affordable for job creators and residents alike. High unemployment in our largest cities is exacerbated by the high cost of living. We must make our cities compete for residents and employers to grow healthy, sustainable cities that thrive. We need to eliminate the economic “cliffs” that limit people from achieving their potential. We need everyone to know their worth is whatever their dreams are, and we will help them to fulfill those dreams. We need to let people in our urban centers have “self-determination” defined by their aspirations and not be held back by arbitrary rules. If we continue with the same policies that have failed our cities and their residents, the outcomes will not change. Connecticut deserves better. Environment Connecticut’s natural beauty and diverse geography is one of our state’s unique assets. From miles of coastline to numerous lakes, endless hiking trails, and more — Connecticut’s landscape offers a little bit of everything. Public lands, beaches, Long Island Sound and parks are a great source of pride for our residents, and I plan to keep it that way. I’m running for Governor because when we say we’re going to protect the environment, our word should mean something. The General Assembly created a Passport to Parks program that would allow for a fee collected by DMV to go directly supporting the state’s 140 state parks and forests. Providing predictable funding, maintenance and improvements so Connecticut residents and visitors can enjoy the beauty our state has to offer. To nobody’s surprise, the General Assembly, with the support of the Governor, raided that fund, taking the money people thought was going to support parks and spending it to plug budget holes. Not only does this eat away at the trust our residents place in us, but it strips funding from our natural resources. In prior years, millions of dollars were from energy efficiency programs to fill gaps in the budget due to inefficient budgeting. Our environment must be protected, and lawmakers should not be using dollars reserved for environmental purposes to make up for budget shortfalls. Our state parks are a great tourism asset and give visitors a reason to visit Connecticut. From hiking to swimming, fishing, to cross-country skiing, and everything in between, these parks offer the opportunity to leverage our assets and provide opportunities for small businesses to thrive. Long Island Sound creates billions of dollars in Connecticut and we need to do a better job protecting this valuable resource. We can balance environmental sustainability and economic growth by working together with private partners and making sure that environmental regulations exist that make sense and not just a few extra cents. Transportation I’m running for Governor because Connecticut needs a reliable, modern and affordable transportation system. Connecticut residents already pay some of the most expensive transportation costs in the country and the Governor and Democrat leaders think you ought to pay more. Their proposals through tolls, taxes and fees add more to your already increasing transportation costs. Voters took the Governor at his word during the last campaign when he said he wouldn’t toll cars. But within weeks of taking over as Governor, he went back on that promise and proposed adding nearly 82 toll gantries and $1 billion in new costs to commuters to pay for transportation and infrastructure. Today, Connecticut residents are paying among the highest gas prices in the country. Public transportation isn’t working for those who need it most. And the only answer from the one-Party in charge is to bankrupt the special transportation fund, take needed funds away from infrastructure while asking residents to pay more. Luckily thanks to grassroots supporters and strong-willed Republican lawmakers, the Governor didn’t get his tolls. But he hasn’t given up on adding more costs to residents and businesses and succeeded in passing a new tax on trucks that experts say will add an average cost of $500 to family food budgets that are already out of control. I’m going to make sure every penny intended for the Special Transportation Fund is used to improve our transportation and infrastructure. We need to hold true to the promise to taxpayers that we’re going to spend transportation funds on infrastructure, not salary costs and fringe benefits that were moved into the STF to hide those costs from the public. We must prioritize projects based on imminent needs and take a holistic approach to modernize infrastructure in a new commuter environment. Parents, Teachers & Students I believe quality education is one of the greatest opportunities that we can provide any child and their family. All Connecticut kids are constitutionally entitled to an equal opportunity to quality education. And parents should absolutely have a say in their children’s education. I’m running for Governor because we need to get Connecticut schools working for parents, teachers and students. My parents worked incredibly hard to make sure my sisters and I were able to thrive in our local schools and have the opportunity to attend college. And the rest was up to us. I have had the opportunity to teach and learn in some of the greatest academic institutions in the world like Cornell, Oxford and Cambridge, but none of that matters if we don’t get the basics right for all of Connecticut students. One of the greatest assets in Connecticut has been our local schools. But while some of our schools and students thrive, others are left behind. In order to ensure our children’s future, Connecticut’s school districts should remain local and we should give parents more choice as to where and how their children are educated. Connecticut children should have every opportunity to attend a school that can provide them equal opportunities to their peers. We need to focus on workforce development – employers are asking for it. While for some kids a four-year college degree is the right path, for others it’s not. We need to add resources to local trade schools and give kids the skill they need to succeed. That’s the only way to make sure that Connecticut and our residents compete for the jobs of the future in a healthy, local economy. Our schools need reform to teach certain basics to create a job training pipeline. Job Creators & Job Growth I’m running for Governor to get Connecticut working for you, to grow jobs, and a healthy economy. Connecticut is home to some of the brightest minds, hardest workers and successful entrepreneurs in the world. We need to roll back Governor Lamont’s job-crushing agenda that hurt small businesses the most. Connecticut’s economy must be built by inspiring people to start small businesses and create jobs in communities across Connecticut. We can only grow a strong, healthy economy if we do it from the bottom-up, empowering small business owners and job creators to invest and grow; not by empowering politicians and insiders to make decisions from the top-down that only serve their purposes. Right now, small businesses from restaurants to manufacturing can’t find enough workers, while unemployment numbers still lag the rest of the country. We need to focus on workforce development, not only in our schools but across our community as a whole. Connecticut lost around 120,000 jobs in the Great Recession. It has been 10 years and we have only recovered around 90,000 of those jobs. Private-sector employment in Connecticut was at 1.38 million in August. New data shows that we are bringing our current employment rate slightly above where it was in January of 2011. Connecticut businesses, especially small businesses are struggling. Our state consistently ranks as one of the 5 most expensive for doing businesses. The labor market has been hard hit not only by the pandemic but by onerous, one-size-fits-all policies. Imagine the power that small businesses in Connecticut could have, growing our economy from the ground up, if we invested COVID relief funds in our state’s small businesses, who have taken the hardest hit during the pandemic. If the Governor funded the unemployment insurance fund it would relieve a $1 billion tax burden on small businesses and immediately grow our economy. The Governor says Connecticut has our “mojo back”, he is right if you accept mediocrity as success. But I believe we are better than that. I believe Connecticut can come back to lead this nation with one of the top economies in the country. Government policies should not hand-pick winners and losers top-down by politicians in state government, but from the bottom up with entrepreneurs and small businesses. From Igor Sikorsky to Charles Goodyear this has been the heritage of Connecticut. Veterans We have over 200,000 Veterans in Connecticut. Each and everyone deserve a government that values their sacrifice and works to serve them and their families in every aspect of their lives. I’m running for Governor to make sure that the men and women who have served our country, along with their families, are given the best treatment here at home. Healthcare I will work with federal partners to expand access to private healthcare through programs such as the VA Choice Program. This will allow Veterans to seek healthcare outside of the VA hospital system in underserved areas. In rural areas, this program saves hours of time spent traveling for basic medical services. Today’s Veterans continue to struggle with PTSD and other mental health issues which have only become worse with the COVID pandemic. We owe it to these heroes to create access to healthcare that is as stress-free and hassle-free as possible. Employment Veterans have developed skills that are needed in both the private sector and the government. Partnering with businesses and state agencies, my administration will make sure that Connecticut’s brightest military leaders become our smartest CEOs, job creators, and innovators. My administration will also work with the private sector to encourage the hiring of Veterans and their spouses – who are often discriminated against in the job market due to multiple moves and gaps in employment. Education I am committed to providing affordable higher education for members of our armed forces. With degrees from Connecticut educational institutions, our Veterans will continue to succeed.	”
—Bob Stefanowski's campaign website (2022)

2018

Campaign website

Stefanowski's campaign website stated the following:

“	Rebuild our Economy Connecticut is in absolute crisis. High Taxes – We have the highest tax burden in the nation. We in Connecticut have to work four weeks longer than the average American just to cover our tax bills! We need to work until May 21 – vs. April 23 on average (as reported by the Tax Foundation) Out of Control Spending – Despite five tax increases since 1992, we have a growing, $3.5 billion budget deficit and a pension plan which is underfunded by $74 billion. Job Losses – Since introducing a state income tax in 1991, we have had the slowest job growth in the entire nation – with 6,600 jobs lost in October 2017 alone. Decline Population – More people are leaving Connecticut than any other state (except West Virginia). In the last 10 years, we have lost $6 billion in adjusted gross income from people moving to Florida alone! A Dysfunctional Government – the current fiscal year budget was 117 days past due, and it included $881 million in “unidentified savings” and was already more than $200 million out of balance only a month after it was signed into law. Connecticut Democrats have followed a policy of “Tax & Spend”. Bob’s Five-Step Plan to Rebuild Connecticut Step 1: Phase out corporate income tax and business entity tax over 2 years Eliminating the Corporate and Business Use taxes, reducing regulatory interference will provide stimulus for companies to rediscover everything our state has to offer. Our corporate tax raises less than 5.0% of the state’s total tax revenues, but Connecticut is uncompetitive with its neighbors and rivals. Repeal is an affordable and important way to carve a competitive niche relative to economic development marketing. In recent months, the headquarters of GE, Alexion, and Aetna left. Bristol-Myers and Konica Minolta have also announced plans to depart. Since 1991, we have seen the slowest job growth in the entire nation. We lost 6,600 jobs in October 2017 alone. Our labor force participation continues to decline – only 66% of the adult population is working or looking for work – 1/3 are on the sidelines. We need a bold statement – a bona fide competitive advantage – to get businesses to start here, expand here, and relocate to Connecticut – and quickly – so that the number of jobs, number of businesses, and labor force participation all start moving in the right direction again. Step 2: Phase out state income tax over 8 years Introduce an across-the-board income tax cut over eight years tied to the attainment of revenue targets. Our income tax destroys growth! For the 15 years preceding the Connecticut State Income Tax (1976 to 1991), our state economy grew faster than any other state. For the 25 years after the tax (1991-2016), our growth is 46th in the nation. Since 1960 only 11 states have introduced a state income tax. In each of those 11 states, every economic metric is down – population, gross state product, and total tax revenues. Adding an income tax reduced gross tax revenues – in every instance! A study by the Cato Institute showed that over 5 years: the 5 states that increased taxes the most had zero job growth and the 5 states that decreased taxes had the most job growth at 10.8%. Massachusetts did it! They lowered the tax rate to 5.1% and since then, population, employment, personal income and tax revenues have all gone up! Step 3: Eliminate the gift and estate taxes immediately The majority of states have already done away with both the gift and estate taxes as they drive residents to other tax-free states! We are the only state with both an estate and a gift tax! They raise only about 1 percent of the state’s total tax revenues each year – but cost so much more than that in the slowing of our economy. These taxes are causing more people to leave Connecticut than any other state (except West Virginia). An astounding $6 billion of adjusted gross income has left for Florida alone in the past 10 years. We want our retirees to stay here! They create jobs, pay taxes, donate to charities, buy goods and services and sustain our state’s economy. Step 4: Embrace zero-based budgeting to reduce spending Zero-based budgeting starts with a “blank piece of paper” not an already bloated budget with special interests and sacred cows baked in. You add back in only the services absolutely needed while finding creative ways to do things cheaper. Even with “fixed” costs like debt service and SEBAC, 20 to 25% of CT’s budget is “discretionary.” With a two-year budget exceeding $40 billion, there are plenty of opportunities to identify savings and efficiencies. Steps: Review every department and agency for waste, fraud, and abuse Reward, with whistleblower protection, employees with cost savings ideas. Contract out public services to the private sector, starting with the DMV Consider more public-private partnerships to share the cost of aging infrastructure Reduce SEBAC – lower staff via attrition, defined contribution plan for non-vested employees, “revisit” overall contract extension. Step 5: Enact a Taxpayer Bill of Rights Impose term limits for state legislators (5 terms/10 years) and the governor (2 terms/8 years). Allow for a recall of state officials who are not living up to campaign promises, getting the job done or representing their constituents properly. Impose a constitutional amendment to require a supermajority to enact any tax or fee increase. Allow citizens the rights of referendum and recall. Require more transparency around private interests receiving tax payer dollars. Our constitution never intended for political office to be a “job for life.” We need better accountability around the actions of our representatives and a mechanism to force fresh thinking on how to solve problems. It Can Work Lower corporate taxes will bring companies and jobs back to Connecticut. Lower individual taxes will increase disposable income, resulting in more consumer demand and businesses will expand to meet that demand. Eliminating the gift and the estate tax will stop the exodus of high tax paying residents to Florida and other low tax states. Zero-based budgeting will force a fresh perspective on what costs are truly needed and what can be eliminated. A Taxpayer Bill of Rights will ensure accountability around government officials to best represent their constituents or be removed from office. Help Small Businesses Connecticut used to be a beacon for business. For nearly twenty years, from 1976 through 1992, our state had the highest rate of job creation in the entire country. But after that, job creation slowed and came to a halt due to the passage of a state income tax. We can lead the nation again in job growth, but only if we lower our taxes, and reduce our regulatory burden to make people and businesses WANT to move here. Bob has formed an Economic Advisory Council of small and medium-sized business owners to ensure his plan will work to grow jobs in Connecticut. Modernize Our Infrastructure In a recent US News study, only 14.6% of Connecticut residents said they were satisfied with the status of our infrastructure. Bob has been working with dozens of small business owners, private citizens and economic experts like Dr. Arthur Laffer to come up with a detailed plan on how to fix our economy as well as our crumbling roads and bridges. Some elements of this plan include: Streamlining the approval process for major construction programs We need to ensure the integrity of our beautiful towns, rural areas and open spaces in Connecticut. But once decided, the administrative process for rebuilding and enhancing our roads, bridges, airports and tunnels needs to be faster. We need to cut the “red tape” that often delays critical infrastructure projects by 50% or more. Spend money where it counts! We need to cut the wasteful spending habits of Dan Malloy and the career politicians and reinvest money in our infrastructure to the benefit of everyone in this state. That is money that could re-directed to improve our crumbling infrastructure and benefit everyone in this state, rather than a select, few, privileged politicians. Encourage Connecticut financial institutions to be part of the solution We should encourage our local banks to consider financing more economic development in our state. Various programs such as the Community Investment Act and low-cost loans from the Federal Small Business Loan Program could provide an incentive for Connecticut based banks to support projects to improve our infrastructure. It will allow them to increase their business activity, create more local jobs for construction projects and improve the quality of life for all residents. Investigate using public-private partnerships to help rebuild our crumbling infrastructure In a PPP, a government agency contracts with the private sector to rebuild an airport, transportation system or other critical assets. The private sector partner brings the technology, expertise and actual experience running a business that our career politicians desperately lack. The private partner funds part of the cost of construction, allowing us to improve the state’s transportation system without adding to our already massive budget deficit. Other states have used this model to improve the quality of their infrastructure – faster, cheaper and better than the state government has any chance of doing. With the proper supervision and a business person experienced in negotiating these partnerships, PPP’s can be a very efficient way to rebuild our state. Bob has successfully worked on a wide variety of projects around the world and can bring that expertise to the governor’s office. It will take all the tools at our disposal to repair years and years of neglect to our roads and bridges. But we have many assets to draw on and with the proper leadership, we can begin the process of rebuilding our state now! Keep Retirees Connecticut’s onerous income, sales, gift, and inheritance taxes are driving retirees out of our state at alarming rates. In fact, in the 2015 tax year, Connecticut lost more adjusted gross income from residents deciding to leave than any other state in the country except one. We lost $1.3 billion in reported adjusted gross income in Connecticut for 2015 alone! Connecticut is the ONLY state in the country to have BOTH a gift and estate tax. Under Bob’s leadership, the “death tax” will be removed day one, stemming the outflows of people, jobs and tax revenues from our state. We will reduce the burden of Connecticut’s state income tax over time making it easier for our retirees to afford to stay in the state they love with their family and friends. As the articles below show, Connecticut retirees are feeling the pain. We need to provide a better economic environment for all of our residents: “Why I fled Connecticut — and how much money I saved” – CT Viewpoints “Census: Thousands Of Connecticut Residents Moving To Other States, Fewer Moving In” – Hartford Courant “WHY ARE PEOPLE MOVING OUT OF CONNECTICUT AT AN ALARMING RATE?” – i95 Rock Retain Our Graduates Even with Connecticut graduates topping the national charts of the highest-earning graduates, our state is still facing a crisis with most graduates moving away (Source:”5 Connecticut Census Numbers That Should Scare Your Socks Off” – Hartford Courant). We are losing jobs and losing our well educated young adults to other states and nearby cities like Boston and New York. The business climate in Connecticut is not attractive for young workers. Bob wants to build businesses, grow our economy, and bring in new workers. Starting with a welcoming business climate, he wants to bring innovative and startup jobs to Connecticut. Keeping more of our graduates will help ensure a bright future for Connecticut.	”
—Bob for Governor

Campaign advertisements

The following is an example of an ad from Stefanowski"s 2018 election campaign.

"Bob The Rebuilder Can Fix Connecticut" - Stefanowski campaign ad, released October 5, 2018

See also

2022 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

The Heart of the Primaries The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station

External links

   .contact_entity {font-size: 1.5em ;margin-top: 0.6em; margin-bottom: 0em;margin-right: 0.5em;}
   .contact_office { margin-top: 0.3em; margin-bottom: 0em;margin-right: 0.5em;}
   .external_links_table { width: auto !important; }
   @media (max-width:600px) {
       .contact_entity {font-size: 1.0em ;margin-top: 0.6em; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 0.5em;}
       .contact_office { font-size: 0.8 em; margin-top: 0.6em; margin-bottom: 0em;margin-right: 0.5em;}  
   }

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

Governor of Connecticut

Website

Twitter

Instagram

YouTube

TikTok

Personal

Website

Facebook

LinkedIn