M. Jodi Rell, the second woman to serve as governor of Connecticut and a prominent figure in the Republican party, passed away on November 20, 2024. She was being treated at a hospital in Florida for a brief illness and died at the age of 78.
Rell was the 87th governor of the state, serving from 2004 to 2011. She took over the role following the resignation of Governor John G. Rowland, who was embroiled in a corruption scandal. Rell made history as the first Republican woman to become governor in Connecticut.
During her tenure as governor, Rell prioritized ethics reform and bipartisan cooperation. She took significant steps towards restoring public trust, including the establishment of public financing for political campaigns. In 2009, under her leadership, Connecticut became one of the pioneering states to acknowledge same-sex civil unions.
Reflecting on her political journey, Rell expressed her reluctance to run for office in the present climate of severe political polarization and personal assaults. During a one-hour discussion on political civility with Governor Ned Lamont at the University of Hartford, Rell voiced her fear that the growing hostility in politics may dissuade others from pursuing public service roles.
Her political journey started in the Connecticut General Assembly in 1985. After serving there for a decade, Rell became lieutenant governor in 1995, a position she held until 2004 when she assumed the governorship. Her full term as governor began after her election victory in 2006.
Despite being diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery early in her term as governor, Rell continued to fulfill her duties undeterred.
Former Democratic Governor Dannel P. Malloy commended Rell’s leadership, stating, “She steadied the ship and returned a sense of decency and honesty to state government at a time when both were sorely needed.”
Mark Boughton, former Danbury, Connecticut Mayor remembered Rell as “the state’s mother” and praised her for bringing a maternal instinct to the governor’s office.
Throughout her term, Rell was a staunch advocate for veterans, military families, and the Connecticut National Guard.
Her last years in office were marked by the challenges brought about by the 2008 recession and escalating budget deficits. After stepping down in 2011, Rell remained active in public life and voiced her concerns about the increasing political divide.
Rell, a Virginia native, moved to Connecticut in 1969. Known for her calm demeanor and readiness to work across the aisle, she revamped the state’s ethics commission and introduced new standards for state contracts during her administration.
In honor of Rell, Governor Ned Lamont has ordered all U.S. and state flags in Connecticut to be flown at half-staff until her burial, the date of which has yet to be determined.