Griebel ’71 considering run for Conn. governor
Courtesy Of Ct.Gov
Another Dartmouth grad is looking to enter the political fray.
Nelson “Oz” Griebel ’71 indicated publicly last week that he may seek the Connecticut governorship in 2010 as a Republican.
Griebel, in an interview with The Dartmouth, said he will likely announce whether he will actually enter the race early next year. He said he is in the process of resolving personal and business issues that could prevent his candidacy, as well as concerns regarding public financing law in Connecticut.
Griebel is the president and chief executive officer of the MetroHartford Alliance, an organization that supports pro-growth legislation and assists local companies in Connecticut.
While Griebel’s bid for the state house would be his first time running for public office, he said he has worked with the state government throughout his career.
“All of the jobs I have had down here involve public policy issues, whether I was at Bank of Boston or McDermott Chemical Corporation or here, so you you’re always involved with the interaction of businesses and government,” he said.
Griebel said, should he choose to run for governor, that he will create “brain trusts” as a way to seek out new ideas to solve Connecticut’s most difficult problems.
“My point on the issue of ‘brain trusts’ is to acknowledge at the outset that no person has all of the right ideas,” Griebel said. “I’m trying to stimulate different thinking and if other ideas beyond the ones that I’ve identified come up, that’s all to the good.”
Griebel said Connecticut’s budgetary difficulties could potentially be addressed through a constitutional amendment to secure funding for transportation infrastructure investment and the consolidation of the administrations of Connecticut’s public universities.
Gov. M. Jodi Rell, R-Conn., has announced she will not run for reelection in 2010. Current Republican candidates include Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele and former U.S. ambassador to Ireland Tom Foley.
Voters in Connecticut will likely base their final decisions on economic issues, according to University of Connecticut political science professor emeritus Howard Reiter.
“You’ve got this real tug of war between the people who want spending reduced but also want services cut,” Reiter said. “In this economic and budgetary climate, we are looking for somebody who can deal with these issues in a way that’s fair for everyone, and that’s a very hard line to draw.”
Reiter explained that Greibel may be at a disadvantage in the gubernatorial race due his relative lack of experience in politics and the format of Connecticut’s primary elections.
“Each party has a convention which sets up the potential candidates for the primary and that convention is dominated by people who have been active in the party organizations,” Reiter said.