http://cptv.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ypmwebcontent/Jeff%20Cohen/2013_06_27_JC%20130627%20Cafero.mp3
Republican House Minority Leader Larry Cafero has decided against a run for Connecticut's governor. As WNPR's Jeff Cohen reports, a recent poll showed Cafero had less support than at least three others in his party.
Cafero made his announcement just outside the chamber he helps to lead. And he says the reason he isn't running is so he can spend time with his family -- specifically, his aging parents.
"For me, it came down to, frankly, what it did four years ago. And that's family...It takes a toll on a family and there's a lot of family time that is missed and not spent and I'm not going to insult any of you by saying, 'I want to spend more time with the family.' We all would love to do that. But I know this. I don't want to spend any less time with the family."
And that, Cafero says, is what a run for governor would mean.
Cafero also said he wanted to make his intentions known so that other Republicans interested in the job could make their own plans. As they do, he thinks they should focus on the economy.
"People want a change. And I think if there's going to be a Republican candidate who will be successful, he or she has to articulate a very clear and specific vision of how they will differentiate themselves with regard to economic development, the growth of Connecticut, and the future of Connecticut, than what Dan Malloy has set out."
Cafero said a recent poll showing him a distant fourth among Republicans played no role in his decision. Neither did his hidden-camera exchange with a central figure in a legislative corruption scandal. Cafero says the FBI told him he had done nothing wrong.
For WNPR, I'm Jeff Cohen.
