Bob Stefanowski

Last updated
Bob Stefanowski
Bob Stefanowski Headshot.png
Born
Robert Vincent Stefanowski

(1962-05-21) May 21, 1962 (age 62)
New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
Education Fairfield University (BS)
Cornell University (MBA)
Political party Republican (2016–present)
Other political
affiliations		 Democratic (before 2016) [1]
SpouseAmy Stefanowski
Children3
Website Campaign website

Robert Vincent Stefanowski (born May 21, 1962) is an American businessman and politician.

Contents

Born and raised in North Haven, Connecticut, he is a former business executive of General Electric, 3i Group plc, UBS, and Dollar Financial Group. He resides in Madison, Connecticut.

Stefanowski was the Republican Party nominee for Governor of Connecticut in 2018 and 2022, losing both times to Democrat Ned Lamont. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Early life

Stefanowski's father, Bob Stefanowski, was the scoreboard assistant for the Yale Bowl. [6] Stefanowski graduated from North Haven High School in 1980. He earned a B.S. in accounting from Fairfield University in 1984 and an MBA from Cornell University in 1992.

Stefanowski began as an auditor in Hartford, Connecticut for PricewaterhouseCoopers after graduating from Fairfield University.

Business career

Stefanowski's tenure at General Electric began in 1994 where he held multiple senior roles through 2007. [7] [8] In 2003, Stefanowski became president and CEO of GE Commercial & Industrial Finance and then proceeded in 2004–2005 to serve as president and CEO of GE Telecom, Media & Technology Finance. Stefanowski worked at the GE Capital headquarters in Norwalk, Connecticut.

From 2008 to 2011, Stefanowski was chairman and managing partner of 3i Group plc in London, England. He then served as chief financial officer of UBS, where he restructured the Investment Bank to meet Basel III regulatory requirements. [9] [10]

From 2014 to 2017 he served as CEO of Dollar Financial Group in London and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [7]

From early 2019 to present, Stefanowski has been employed by and in senior leadership and decision-making positions with Neom, a controversial planned futuristic development in the northwest of Saudi Arabia totally owned by the Saudi Government Wealth Fund, PIF.

Political career

2018 campaign for governor

In September 2017, Stefanowski announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for governor of Connecticut in 2018. [7] He campaigned on phasing out the state income tax, corporate income tax, reducing business entity taxes, and eliminating the gift tax and the estate tax, in addition to using zero-based budgeting and creating a Taxpayer Bill of Rights. [11] [12] Stefanowski's tax-cut proposals were backed by Republican economic commentators Arthur Laffer and Larry Kudlow. [13] During his campaign, Stefanowski pledged to oppose further gun-control measures in Connecticut. [14] [15]

His campaign ran television commercials, beginning in January 2018, in the Hartford-New Haven and New York media markets; his ads criticized Democratic governor Dannel P. Malloy, promoting Stefanowski's economic proposals (co-authored with Laffer) [16] and criticizing Malloy's acceptance of publicly funded elections. [17] The Wall Street Journal reported that Stefanowski funded his campaign with a combination of fundraising and his own money, but that he had declined to state how much of his own money he would spend. [18]

He received endorsements from former Republican competitor Peter Lumaj, state representative Noreen Kokoruda, state senator Len Suzio, former U.S. Comptroller General David M. Walker, Middletown Planning and Zoning Commissioner Tyrell Brown, Middletown Board of Education member Edward Ford, Jr., and Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti. [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24]

At the May 2018 state Republican convention at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, the party endorsed Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton; Stefanowski attended the convention but bypassed the formal vote, opting not to place his name into nomination. [11] [25] Stefanowski secured a spot on the Republican primary ballot by collecting the requisite number of signatures. [26] [27] [28] [29]

In August 2018 primary, Stefanowski won the Republican nomination, receiving 29.4% of the vote, surpassing Boughton (21.3%), David Stemerman (18.3%), Tim Herbst (17.6%), and Steve Obsitnik (13.4%). [30] Following Stefanowski's nomination, on August 15, 2018, Donald Trump endorsed the campaign. [31]

In the November 2018, general election, Stefanowski was narrowly defeated by Democrat Ned Lamont. [2] [3] [4] [32]

2022 campaign for governor

On January 19, 2022, Stefanowski declared his intent to run for governor again in the 2022 election. He won the Republican nomination at convention on May 6, 2022, with Laura Devlin selected as his running mate. [33] On November 8, 2022, Stefanowski lost the general election to incumbent governor Ned Lamont in a rematch of their 2018 race, this time with a 13% margin.

Electoral history

Connecticut gubernatorial election, 2018 — Republican primary
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Bob Stefanowski 42,119 29.4
Republican Mark D. Boughton30,50521.3
Republican David Stemerman26,27618.3
Republican Tim Herbst25,14417.6
Republican Steve Obsitnik19,15113.4
Total votes143,195 100.0
Connecticut gubernatorial election, 2018 — general election [30]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Ned Lamont 694,510 49.37
Republican Bob Stefanowski650,13846.21
Independent Oz Griebel 54,7413.89
Libertarian Rod Hanscomb6,0860.43
Total votes1,406,803 100.0
Democratic hold
Connecticut gubernatorial election, 2022 — general election [34]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Ned Lamont (incumbent) 710,186 55.97
Republican Bob Stefanowski546,20943.05
Independent Party Robert Hotaling12,4000.98
Green Michelle Louise Bicking (write-in)980.0
Total votes1,268,893 100.0
Democratic hold

Personal life

Stefanowski lives in Madison with his wife, Amy, and his three daughters. [35]

His first book Making M&A Deals Happen was published by McGraw Hill Publishing in February 2007. He is a Wharton Fellow, and has served as adjunct faculty to NYU Stern, London Business School, Cambridge University, and as a visiting professor of management practice at Oxford University. [36]

Stefanowski is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). [37]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Bysiewicz</span> American politician (born 1961)

Susan Bysiewicz is an American politician and attorney who has served as the 109th lieutenant governor of Connecticut since 2019. She previously served as the 72nd secretary of the state of Connecticut from 1999 to 2011 and a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1993 to 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ned Lamont</span> Governor of Connecticut since 2019

Edward Miner Lamont Jr. is an American businessman and politician serving since January 2019 as the 89th governor of Connecticut. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a Greenwich selectman from 1987 to 1989 and was the party's nominee for the United States Senate in 2006, losing to incumbent Joe Lieberman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dannel Malloy</span> American politician (born 1955)

Dannel Patrick Malloy is an American politician who served as the 88th governor of Connecticut from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he chaired the Democratic Governors Association from 2016 to 2017. In July 2019, he began his tenure as the Chancellor of the University of Maine System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Connecticut gubernatorial election</span>

The 2010 Connecticut gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010, to elect the 88th Governor of Connecticut. Incumbent Republican Governor Jodi Rell had announced in a press conference in Hartford on November 9, 2009, that she would not seek re-election in 2010. The sites Cook Political Report and CQ Politics both rated the election as a toss-up. This was the first open seat gubernatorial election in the state since 1994. As of 2024, this is the last time the Governor's office in Connecticut changed partisan control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 United States Senate election in Connecticut</span>

The 2012 United States Senate election in Connecticut was held on November 6, 2012, in conjunction with the 2012 U.S. presidential election, other elections to the United States Senate in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. Primaries to elect Senate candidates from the Republican and Democratic parties were held on Tuesday, August 14, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oz Griebel</span> American politician

Richard Nelson "Oz" Griebel was an American banker, lawyer, and political candidate. He ran as a Republican primary candidate in the 2010 Connecticut gubernatorial election, and as an independent in the 2018 gubernatorial election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Connecticut elections</span>

Elections for state and federal offices for the 2010 election cycle in Connecticut, US, were held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. Any necessary primary elections for the Republican and Democratic parties were held on Tuesday, August 10, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Connecticut</span>

The 2012 U.S. House of Representatives elections in Connecticut were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, to elect the five congressional representatives from the state, one from each of the state's five congressional districts. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election, a U.S. Senate election, and state legislature races.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Connecticut gubernatorial election</span>

The 2014 Connecticut gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2014, to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of Connecticut, concurrently with elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

Themis Klarides is an American attorney and politician from the state of Connecticut. She served in the Connecticut House of Representatives, serving as House Minority Leader from 2015 through 2021. In that position, she was the highest ranking woman in the legislature. She was also the first woman to lead Republican members in the House of Representatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States Senate election in Connecticut</span>

The 2016 United States Senate election in Connecticut was held November 8, 2016, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Connecticut, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Markley</span> American politician

Joe Markley is an American politician who was a member of the Connecticut State Senate representing the 16th State Senate District from 2011 to 2019. A native of Southington, Connecticut, he was first elected to the State Senate in 1984 at the age of 27, serving only one term. He returned to the chamber in 2010 at the age of 53, but left again in 2019. He was the Republican Nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut in 2018, but lost the general election to Democrat Susan Bysiewicz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Boughton</span> American politician

Mark D. Boughton is an American politician who was the longest-serving mayor in Danbury, Connecticut's history. He served ten consecutive terms as mayor, from 2001 to 2020. He was the Republican endorsed candidate for governor of Connecticut in 2018, but lost the primary election to Bob Stefanowski. In 2020, Governor Ned Lamont nominated Boughton to serve as commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Connecticut gubernatorial election</span>

The 2018 Connecticut gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the next governor and lieutenant governor of Connecticut, concurrently with the election of Connecticut's Class I U.S. Senate seat, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. This race's Democratic margin of victory was the closest to the national average of 3.1 points.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electoral history of Ned Lamont</span> American politician

This is the electoral history of Ned Lamont, the 89th and current governor of Connecticut. He previously ran for governor in 2010, and was the Democratic candidate for the United States Senate in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United States Senate election in Connecticut</span>

The 2022 United States Senate election in Connecticut was held on November 8, 2022, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Connecticut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Connecticut Senate election</span>

The 2018 Connecticut Senate election was held on November 6, 2018, concurrently with the elections for the Connecticut House of Representatives, to elect members to the Connecticut General Assembly. All 36 seats in the Connecticut Senate were up for election. The election resulted in Democrats expanding control in both chambers of the Connecticut General Assembly, ending the split control in the Senate, that had been in place since the 2016 elections. Primary elections were held on August 14, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leora Levy</span> Cuban-American businesswoman (born 1957)

Leora Mariana Levy is a Cuban-born American businesswoman and politician. She was the Republican nominee in the 2022 United States Senate election in Connecticut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Connecticut gubernatorial election</span>

The 2022 Connecticut gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of Connecticut. Incumbent Democratic governor Ned Lamont ran for re-election to a second term in office. The race simultaneously took place with the election to the state's Class III Senate seat. This election featured a rematch of the previous 2018 gubernatorial election, pitting Lamont against Republican Bob Stefanowski, whom he previously defeated by 3.2% of the vote. This time Lamont won re-election by a wider margin, becoming the first Democrat to win a gubernatorial election by more than 5 points in the state since 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2026 Connecticut gubernatorial election</span>

The 2026 Connecticut gubernatorial election will take place on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of Connecticut. Incumbent Democratic Governor Ned Lamont is eligible for re-election to a third term in office.

References

  1. ↑ "Bob Stefanowski Says He Didn't Know White Nationalist Promoter Was At Larry Kudlow Party". Hartford Courant. August 22, 2018. Archived from the original on February 2, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Vigdor, Neil (August 14, 2018). "Bob Stefanowski wins Republican Nomination for Governor". Hartford Courant.
  3. 1 2 "In upset, Bob Stefanowski wins GOP nod for Connecticut governor". PBS . August 14, 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Connecticut Primary Election Results". The New York Times . August 14, 2018.
  5. ↑ Foderaro, Lisa (July 22, 2018). "Candidates for Connecticut Governor Agree It's the Economy, Stupid". The New York Times.
  6. ↑ Cavanaugh, Jack (November 17, 1991). "Football Record Holder Never Wore a Uniform". The New York Times.
  7. 1 2 3 Blair, Russell (September 22, 2017). "Madison Financial Executive Seeks GOP Nomination For Governor". Hartford Courant.
  8. ↑ "Executive Profile Robert V. Stefanowski". Bloomberg L.P. 2018.
  9. ↑ Altimari, Daniela (November 15, 2017). "Outsiders From the Business World Drawn to Connecticut Governor'sl race". Hartford Courant.
  10. ↑ Breen, Thomas (November 15, 2017). "Some Of His Best Friends". New Haven Independent.
  11. 1 2 Vigdor, Neil (April 4, 2018). "Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Bob Stefanowski Will Bypass GOP Convention". Hartford Courant.
  12. ↑ Keating, Christopher (December 5, 2017). "Laffer, GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Push To Eliminate CT Income Tax". Hartford Courant.
  13. ↑ "Laffer, GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Push To Eliminate CT Income Tax". Hartford Courant. December 5, 2017.
  14. ↑ Vigdor, Neil (July 31, 2018). "GOP Candidates Pursue Gun Owners Ahead Of Pivotal Statewide Primaries". Hartford Courant.
  15. ↑ "GOP Sees Chance to Beef Up Its Power in Blue Connecticut". The New York Times. Associated Press. July 31, 2018.
  16. ↑ Altimari, Daniela (January 24, 2018). "Stefanowski Begins Running Ads on Cable and Broadcast TV". Hartford Courant.
  17. ↑ Blair, Russell (September 22, 2017). "Madison Financial Executive Seeks GOP Nomination For Governor". Hartford Courant.
  18. ↑ De Avila, Joseph (July 8, 2018). "Connecticut Republicans Confronted with Choices". Wall Street Journal.
  19. ↑ "Peter Lumaj Backs Bob Stefanowski In Governor's Race". Hartford Courant. June 11, 2018.
  20. ↑ "State Senator Len Suzio (R-13) Endorses Bob Stefanowski". Hartford Courant. June 12, 2018. Archived from the original on June 17, 2018. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  21. ↑ "David Walker Backs Bob Stefanowski For Governor". Hartford Courant. June 13, 2018.
  22. ↑ "Madison Lawmaker Endorses GOP Gubernatorial Candidate". Madison Patch. June 16, 2018.
  23. ↑ "20-Year-Olds Make History As Black Republicans While Middletown Grows More Diverse". Hartford Courant. December 18, 2017.
  24. ↑ "Mark Lauretti Backs Bob Stefanowski In GOP Primary For Governor, Won't Rule Out Independent Run". Hartford Courant. July 23, 2018.
  25. ↑ Altimari, Daniela (May 12, 2018). "Mark Boughton Wins Republican Endorsement For Governor, But Primary Battle Looms". Hartford Courant.
  26. ↑ Pazniokas, Mark (June 18, 2018). "Bob Stefanowski qualifies for GOP primary". Connecticut Mirror.
  27. ↑ Dixon, Ken (June 18, 2018). "Stefanowski makes GOP primary". Stamford Advocate.
  28. ↑ "Stefanowski Secures Spot on GOP Governor Primary Ballot". Associated Press. June 18, 2018.
  29. ↑ Stuart, Christine (June 18, 2018). "Stefanowski Makes History in Qualifying for Primary Ballot". CT News Junkie.
  30. 1 2 "November 2018 State Election". Office of the Connecticut Secretary of the State. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  31. ↑ Trump, Donald. "It is about time that Connecticut had a real and talented Governor. Bob Stefanowski is the person needed to do the job. Tough on crime, Bob is also a big cutter of Taxes. He will win in November and make a Great Governor, a major difference maker. Bob has my total Endorsement!". Twitter.
  32. ↑ "Stefanowski Concedes To Lamont In Connecticut Governor's Race". November 7, 2018.
  33. ↑ Pazniokas, Mark (2022-05-07). "GOP nominates Bob Stefanowski for rematch with Gov. Ned Lamont". CT Mirror. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  34. ↑ "2022 General Election - Governor". Connecticut Secretary of State.
  35. ↑ Dixon, Ken (September 30, 2018). "How Rich are Bob Stefanowski and Ned Lamont". CT Post.
  36. ↑ "Robert Stefanowski Biography". University of Cambridge. 2019.
  37. ↑ Haar, Dan (April 11, 2019). "Bob Stefanowski vows 'I'm not going to go away'". CT Post.
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Governor of Connecticut
2018, 2022 		Most recent
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.