M.  , Jodi Rell, who rose to be government after John.  , G. Rowland , resigned under the threat of prosecution in 2004, therefore pushed through morality reforms including open funding for , General Assembly , and top-of-the-ticket nationwide races, has died at 78 in a , Florida , medical after a short illness.
Following Rowland’s turbulent last year in office, Rell’s ascendance to the state’s top office resulted in bipartisanship returning to the Capitol. She won widespread support, won her personal election in 2006, and finally made a tearful decision to not run for re-elected office at the age of 63.
” Governor Rell , represented the very best of , Connecticut , beliefs, expanding health care and baby attention, and making , Connecticut , one of the first state in the country to understand same-sex organizations”, Gov.  , Ned Lamont , said, ordering that state flags been instantly lowered to half staff in her pride until twilight on the day of her interment.
She used her recently enacted power to stabilize state authorities in a way that was urgently needed, focusing on strengthening state ethics rules and rebuilding the trust of the people who lived in our state, according to Lamont. Her management style was not in any manner manufactured or manipulated. The Jodi Rell that the persons of , Connecticut , saw in government was the Jodi Rell that she was in true life: calm, rational, caring, friendly, and devoted to her home and to her position. She has developed into a really close friend as a result of the time I have had the honor of serving as chancellor. Last year, we had a fantastic republican discussion at the Rell Center, and we had a lot of fun at the Residence’s annual holiday celebrations. Next month, I’ll be visiting with her at the entrance to say hello to Christmas well-wishers. We may all miss , Gov. Rell, who left the state a better position”.
A former part of the state , House of Representatives , from , Brookfield, Rell was selected by Rowland to be his running mate in 1994, and as lieutenant governor presided over the state , Senate , into Rowland’s next four-year word, which was halted by a fraud investigation that led to a House research and a state Supreme Court ruling that led to Rowland’s abrupt resignation in the summer of 2004. Rowland pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges by the end of the year.
In 2005, Rell was the first governor in the nation to sign a civil-union law, then in 2009 was the first governor to sign a marriage equality law, following a , Connecticut Supreme Court , decision in 2008.
A Republican,  , Connecticut ‘s , 87th governor filled out the remaining two years of Rowland’s term, then won a four-year term of her own before declining a run for reelection in 2010, when former , Stamford , Mayor , Dannel P. Malloy , defeated Republican , Tom Foley , of , Greenwich. She was the second woman to be governor of the state, after Democrat , Ella Grasso. Rell is the most recent Republican governor.
Michael Rell, her son who is , Capitol , lobbyist and the former mayor of , Wethersfield, said Thursday morning that he and his sister Meredith had spoken twice to their mother Wednesday morning. ” It was just sudden”, he said in a brief interview. In late 2004,  , Gov. Rell , had surgery for breast cancer.
” I was sad to hear this news”, Malloy said in a statement. ” Gov. Rell , took over at a dark time in , Connecticut, in the wake of former , Gov. Rowland , resigning as he was facing impeachment. At a time when both decency and honesty were desperately needed, she stabilized the ship and gave the state government a sense of decency.  , Gov. Rell , loved , Connecticut, and was a dedicated, honest and kind public servant. The Rell family is in our thoughts and prayers.
Michael Fedele, a , Stamford , business executive and former state representative, recalled on Thursday that he was surprised when Rell gauged his interest in becoming her 2006 lieutenant governor running mate. ” I knew Jodi from my time in the legislature and I got a call from her saying she was looking at individuals, plural, to run with her for a four-year term”, Fedele said in a phone interview. ” I felt very humbled. At the Governor’s Residence, we discussed the qualities she was looking for. She sought out someone who could work with her and understand the law in partnership. When she said,” If you have n’t been scared off, I would like you to run with me,” I was just astounded when we were having lunch in the garden room.
Fedele called Rell’s death tragic. ” She was a great lady and also a great person”, he said. ” That, to me, is what really translated into her being a good governor. She’d walk into a room and instantly became like everyone’s best friend. She was so approachable. That aura defined her. People bonded with her, of course. That’s different in today’s world. Today, there are so many fundamental differences between politics and government. She exhibited a soft and positive attitude.
Lieutenant , Gov. Susan Bysiewicz , recalled Thursday that she first met Rell while representing her hometown of , Middletown , in the , House of Representatives, then later as secretary of the state when Rell was lieutenant governor then governor. She was praised and admired by her colleagues when I arrived at the legislature because of how smart, diligent, and effective at collaborating with both parties. ” Our state has lost a trailblazing political leader and treasured public servant”, Bysiewicz said, calling 2004, in the lead-up to Rowland’s resignation” a tumultuous” period.
” She restored the public trust in and brought stability to state government”, Bysiewicz said, adding that Rell was an advocate for veterans, military families and the , Connecticut National Guard ,. Because it eliminated special interest funds from campaigns,” I believe a large portion of her legacy will remain in our state’s public-financing program.” She served the public service with compassion, morality, and civility, which I admired. Rell would always elicit thunderous applause when formally entering the House chamber during her years as the lieutenant governor and then governor. People admired her and treated her with respect, and she reciprocated.
House Minority Leader , Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, said Rell’s death was a shock. ” We have all lost a dear friend and wonderful human being”, he said. ” But we can be heartened by the warm memories we shared of , Jodi Rell, who served her beloved state and hometown of , Brookfield , with dignity, class and honor. She will be missed and never forgotten, despite her cheerful demeanor and outlook. She rose quickly in her caucus as a first-term state representative and won praise for her ability and hard work in making Connecticut a better place for everyone.
Candelora recalled that when Rell was formally introduced as the , GOP , candidate for lieutenant governor at the party convention in 1994,” Pretty Woman” was played on the public address system. ” She was that in the eyes of everyone”, Candelora said.
” Governor Rell , was a gracious, compassionate and intelligent leader for many years, guiding , Connecticut , and reassuring its citizens after the resignation of , John Rowland” , , Senate , President Pro Tempore , Martin Looney, D-New Haven , and Senate Majority Leader , Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said in a joint statement Thursday morning. ” We always found her to be thoughtful, bipartisan, hardworking, and dedicated to improving the lives of , Connecticut , citizens. We extend our thoughts and prayers to her family and friends, who may find comfort in the lasting legacy she has left for Connecticut.
In 2011, the , University of Hartford , founded , The Governor M. Jodi Rell Center for Public Service , to promote values that Rell exhibited including “integrity in government and public service and responsible participation in public life” including ethics, civil discussions and public involvement while encouraging students to pursue public service careers.
” Jodi Rell loved , Connecticut, she loved public service, and she served our state with dignity and grace” , , Senate Republicans , said in a joint statement. ” As our 87th Governor, she had an incredible connection with , Connecticut , residents that helped her lead us through some very difficult days. She was the genuine article. She emphasized transparency in government. She served as both a model for all of our citizens.
Connecticut , Republican Party , Chairman , Ben Proto , reflected Thursday that Rell “was a dynamic lady who was exactly what the , State of Connecticut , needed at exactly the right time”.
Proto, who served as chief counsel to the , House Republicans , during much of Rell’s tenure in the legislature, also recalled a woman who was gracious and easy to get along with. One occasion he recalled was when Rell dropped by Proto’s hometown of , Stratford , for a fundraiser during the gubernatorial campaign of 2006. Rell had successfully treated for breast cancer two years prior, and Caroline, Proto’s 13-year-old daughter, had just finished a project for the governor. A news photographer was waiting for Caroline to be introduced to Rell in the room full of donors, just as Proto had him with him to the event.
” That was the photo that they ran of the governor being in , Stratford , for a fundraiser — it drove everyone nuts”! he said with a laugh.
Thomas D. Ritter, a , Hartford , lawyer who was speaker of the House from 1993 to 1998, said Rell was” an extraordinary human being”, who avoided many of the trappings and aspirations of elected office. ” Half the people in the , General Assembly , think they’re going to be president of , the United States, and she never expected any of it”, Ritter said. ” She never changed”.
A native of , Norfolk, Va,  , Mary Carolyn Reavis , left , Old Dominion University , in 1967 and married , Lou Rell, a , Navy , pilot who then joined the former Trans World Airlines who died in their , Florida , home at age 73 in 2014.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been finalized.
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( c ) 2024 The Register Citizen
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