Newington Mayor Jeff Wright, who appeared on Face the State this Sunday, decided to get out of the race for governor, where there are now seven candidates vying for the Republican nomination. Instead, he became the first Republican Tuesday to declare his candidacy for state Treasurer.
Republican Party Chairman Chris Healy said Tuesday that the position of state Treasurer is almost equally as important as governor, especially at a time when borrowing is at an all time high and the state pension fund is underperforming.
A certified financial planner, Wright said the position matches his profession, not to mention the race is less crowded. Wright, 38, said he was encouraged by Healy to switch races. He said his goal in running for state Treasurer is to slow down the pace of borrowing.
Wright is serving his second term as mayor in Newington and in January resigned from his position on the board of the Metropolitan District Commission, a regional water and sewer agency.
At the moment Wright is the only declared Republican running for state Treasurer against the Democratic incumbent Denise Nappier.
