John DeStefano, Jr.

Infobox_Politician
name = John DeStefano, Jr.


office = 46^th Mayor of New Haven, Connecticut
term_start = 1994
term_end =
predecessor = John C. Daniels
successor =
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date of birth = birth date and age|1955|05|11
place of birth= New Haven, Connecticut
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spouse = Kathy DeStefano
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John DeStefano, Jr. (born May 11, 1955) is the current mayor of New Haven, Connecticut. He was the Democratic candidate in 2006 for Governor of Connecticut, unsuccessfully challenging incumbent Republican Governor M. Jodi Rell.

Career

A high-level aide under mayor Biagio DiLieto, DeStefano first ran for the mayor's office in 1989, after DiLieto announced he would not seek re-election. DeStefano won the endorsement of the New Haven Democratic Party, but was defeated in a Democratic primary by John Daniels. DeStefano ran again, successfully, in 1993. He has served seven consecutive terms, (posting his eighth mayoral election victory in November 2007) during which his efforts have included a massive overhaul of New Haven's public schools, based principally on the magnet school model, and New Haven's selection as a federal "Empowerment Zone". DeStefano is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition [cite web| url=http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/about/members.shtml| title=Mayors Against Illegal Guns: Coalition Members Retrieved on June 19, 2007] , an organization formed in 2006 and co-chaired by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston mayor Thomas Menino. Recently, he has had to deal with public perceptions that violent crime is on the rise in New Haven. [cite web| url=http://www.newhavenindependent.org/archives/2006/07/post_255.php| title=New Haven Independent]

On August 8, 2006 John DeStefano and defeated Mayor Dannel Malloy (D-Stamford) in the Connecticut Democratic Primary for Governor, becoming the Democratic Party's official candidate, with running Lieutenant Governor running mate Mary Messina Glassman. DeStefano and Glassman were defeated by the very popular Rell in the general election by one of the largest pluralities in state history [ [http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006//pages/results/states/CT/index.html CNN.com - Elections 2006 ] ] and conceded that night [ [http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-destefanohq1108.artnov08,0,426811.story?coll=hc-headlines-local Topic Galleries - Courant.com ] ] . His goal was to prevent the people of Connecticut from paying for Wal-Mart healthcare, and his line was "If Wal-Mart won't cover their employee's healthcare coverage, we will. And, we'll send Wal-Mart the bill."

Following his defeat by Rell, DeStefano focused his attention on a controversial plan to issue official city ID cards to city residents, including illegal immigrants. Proponents called the cards a way for illegal aliens to gain access to city services and bank accounts (reducing illegal immigrants' potential to avoid bank fees and interest, while also providing that they don't have to hold large amounts of cash, which made them targets for theft), while critics considered the cards an encouragement to illegal immigration. [ [http://www.nhregister.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=18552336&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=517515&rfi=8 "Residents can apply July 24 for Elm City ID"] Mary E. O'Leary, New Haven Register, 5 July 2007] The city began issuing the cards on 24 July 2007. [ [http://www.nhregister.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18624343&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=590581&rfi=6 "City ID program draws protests, illegal immigrants"] Mary E. O'Leary, New Haven Register, 25 July 2007]

DeStefano has focused his tenure as mayor on improving education and public safety in New Haven, as well as on economic development. Notable initiatives include the Livable City Initiative, begun in 1996, which promotes homeownership and removes blight, and the Citywide Youth Initiative. In 1995, DeStefano launched a 15-year, $1.5 billion School Construction Program, already half finished, to replace or renovate every New Haven public school. DeStefano is past President of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities and President of the National League of Cities.

In 2008, DeStefano announced massive budget cuts to balance the city's $456 million budget, including the closure of an elementary school, police substations, and senior centers. About 160 city employees were expected to be laid off. [http://www.wtnh.com/global/story.asp?s=8327538]

ee also

*Connecticut gubernatorial election, 2006

References

External links

* [http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/mayor/ New Haven Mayor's Office]
* [http://www.destefanoforct.com/ John DeStefano for Connecticut] - official campaign website
* [http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org Mayors Against Illegal Guns homepage]