Ending months of speculation over whether he'd seek the congressional seat once held by his father, state Senate Minority Leader John McKinney on Wednesday said he will not challenge U.S. Rep. Jim Himes next year....
But he wouldn't rule out a possible campaign for statewide office next year.
"I think our state is run incredibly well by Gov. [M. Jodi] Rell and I support her tremendously, but if I have an opportunity to stay at home, be the father I want to be with my kids and help people out in Connecticut in public office, that's something I'll look at," he said.
McKinney had been heavily courted by national Republicans, and his potential run was supported by Chris Shays. The bench for the GOP in CT-04 now looks like it includes names like New Canaan resident Will Gregory (who mentions his Eagle Scout award in his website bio), conservative State Sen. Dan Debicella from Shelton, and first-term Greenwich State Sen. and George W. Bush fundraiser L. Scott Frantz.
Any challenger will need to come out of the box strong, because they will face a huge fundraising challenge.
Update: Other potential Republican names include State Sen. Toni Boucher from Wilton and former Bridgeport State Sen. Rob Russo.
Politico ran this story today. Obviously someone Jim Himes should be concerned about, McKinney is smarter and younger than the ridiculous Chris Shays, who pledged his support for McKinney. I'm not sure that McKinney is as moderate as made out in this article but anyone who says they're pro-choice in the republican party gets that label, and probably a target on his back if he's still around a few years from now at the national level.
Republicans are close to landing Connecticut state Senate Minority Leader John McKinney to run against freshman Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), providing the GOP with a top-tier challenger in a region where the party's fortunes have bottomed out.
McKinney is expected to make a final decision soon after the state legislative session ends June 3, but he has already been making moves in preparation for a campaign, according to several GOP sources.
He was in Washington last week to discuss a potential candidacy with the National Republican Congressional Committee and has talked to NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions of Texas and another prominent moderate, Rep. Michael Castle (R-Del.).
Former GOP Rep. Chris Shays, who represented the district for 21 years before losing to Himes last year, has been in contact with McKinney and said he is under the impression that the legislator will jump in the race. He said McKinney would have his full backing.
"If he runs - and I think he will - he will have a very good likelihood of winning, and if he is elected, he will be an outstanding public servant," Shays said. "He is just an exceptional young man who really has a lot to offer. I'm excited about him running, and if he does run, he has my total support."
When asked if he had asked DeLuca to resign, McKinney said: "I'd rather not answer that question."
Republican Governor Jodi Rell:
"The senator, and the senator alone, and his family, will be the decision-makers on whether or not he should resign."
Senate President Pro Tem Donald E. Williams:
Williams ... declined to say if DeLuca should consider quitting. "That is a matter for him to consider. I know that most senators are trying to be circumspect in their comments right now," Williams said.
To have ethical government, political leaders have to make clear what's acceptable behavior and what isn't. The silence of Rell, McKinney and Williams speaks volumes.
State Sen. Minority Leader John McKinney, Rudy's chief CT cheerleader, had this to say back in August as he announced he was joining the Giuliani campaign as state chair:
"Mayor Giuliani is the candidate with the most public executive leadership experience and his track record as a real fiscal conservative makes him the clear choice for Connecticut voters," said Senate Minority Leader John McKinney.
Well, as any New Yorker who lived through the 90s can tell you, "most" executive leadership experience doesn't mean "most qualified." And despite the mythology Rudy has built up around 9/11, his failures on terrorism that led up to that day were numerous and utterly preventable ones. It's a farce that this man continues to be allowed to talk about his "experience" on terrorism with a straight face.
This morning, Robert Greenwald's Brave New Films is out with another devastating piece on Rudy's "experience" on terrorism - examining the catastrophic negligence (or worse) that led to the the failures of firefighters' radios on September 11th, 2001:
These are the questions BNF is raising concerning the broken radios:
* Why was nothing done to improve NYFD radio performance for seven years after a clear need was demonstrated in the 1993 World Trade Center attack? * When new radios were finally ordered, why did the city block other companies besides Motorola from bidding on the contract? * Once Motorola was given the contract, why did its cost jump from $1.4 million to $14 million? * Why were these new radios never tested?
You can sign the petition here demanding that the NYC City Council open an investigation into the matter.
Might be worth asking John McKinney why he continues to stand with Giuliani instead of with the 9/11 families, and ask if he will also support an investigation:
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