Former Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell died on Wednesday after a brief illness, according to her family.
Leaders around the state are remembering the 87th governor, and one of the only two women to hold that office.
NBC Connecticut's Mike Hydeck spoke with Sacred Heart University Political Science Professor Gary Rose about her legacy and what she meant to our state.
Mike Hydeck: Gary, first, what comes to mind when you think of Governor Rell's time in public service?
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Gary Rose: The word you used, steady, I think that's what really comes to mind immediately about her. She wasn't, you know, a flashy governor. She wasn't flamboyant by any means, but she was steady and solid and thoughtful, and one who was absolutely determined to represent the people of both parties, you know, people of all different persuasions, political persuasions. So when I think of the governor, I think of a very steady, solid public servant who is committed, really, to the public good without a partisan agenda, despite the fact that she was, of course, a Republican, but sometimes you wouldn't even know that. So steady and solid and committed, that's what really comes to mind immediately.
Mike Hydeck: And she was also, in my experience with her as well, interviewing her over the years, very civil, something that is missing in discourse these days. It seems many people, as they talk about her legacy, they think we need a few more Jodi Rell's moving forward.
Gary Rose: Oh, Mike, I can't agree with you more on that. I mean, when we think of Jodi Rell, we do, as you say, think of a very civil and polite individual, despite, you know, beneath all of that, there were some pretty strong feelings about some issues, of course, but she knew how to be cooperative and collegial with individuals, and she knew how to work across the aisle. And God do I miss the civility. You're absolutely right about that, and I just wish there were more Jodi Rells like that in our polity today, and it's something that has really been been missed in a long time, actually.
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Mike Hydeck: By comparison, you look at her next to Governor Rowland, where she was his lieutenant governor, he seemed almost as if he was a showman. By comparison, she was lowkey. And do you think that could help her get legislation moving? She often would work across the aisle to try to get a deal done, right?
Gary Rose: Yeah, I agree with that. I mean, now Governor Rowland certainly got some important things done, too, particularly with the urban areas. It's actually part of his legacy, I would say. But her willingness to hear people and to listen to them, was responsible for probably getting some of the the main things that she got accomplished, you know, like the citizens election program, for example. As a political scientist, of course, you know, that's something I followed very carefully. And so her ability to walk to work across the aisle, and her ability to listen and not to condescend to people, so she, to me, was really a model public servant.
Mike Hydeck: The citizens election helped because it was the concern of corruption of former Governor John Rowland. She wanted people to trust the system again. How would you characterize her politics? Would you say on the Republican side, was she conservative, moderate or liberal? She did have some very strong beliefs. She would not back down if she believed in something, and I was witness to that personally. But how would you characterize her politics?
Gary Rose: Well, I think her politics really, in many ways, personified the traditional New England Republican where she was, you know, fiscally conservative, but yet, at the same time, quite socially moderate. And that's really the type of brand of, you know, Republican politics that we were very much accustomed to, not just in Connecticut, but in other New England states. That too is changing here in Connecticut. So I would say she was a very traditional, you know, type of, if you will, a Rockefeller Republican. I think that's the word I would use, and that's really the type of Republicanism that we had for many years in this state.
Mike Hydeck: And in neighboring state, Massachusetts, Mitt Romney was a Republican in a very blue state there as well. So they probably had some simpatico. As she embarked on her own full four-year term when she got reelected easily, can you think of some highlights as she kind of was able to govern and then she didn't decide to go for re-election afterwards?
Gary Rose: Yeah, well, you know, she was very much into healthcare reform. I think that's very impressive. You know, we talked about the citizens election program and another big thing too is she favored, again, getting back to the traditional Republicanism that we were talking about, civil unions. And even though she was actually opposed to gay marriage itself, she did believe that civil unions were something that people should have the right to participate in. And then, of course, you know, fiscal conservatism. She was pretty tight on budgetary issues, too, and she recognized when there was waste, and she would go back to the legislature and present her views on that, and people were willing to listen. So I think it was a range of, you know, issues, budgetary issues, and, of course, political issues with the citizens election program, healthcare issue, I know that was important to her, and she got some healthcare legislation passed. A particular program, in fact, for people who did not have proper health insurance, actually could utilize that. And so, you know, I think we're looking at an individual who had actually a very accomplished legislative record.
Mike Hydeck: A stateswoman who will truly, truly be be missed.
