The NAACP criticized Governor-elect Dan Malloy’s transition team Saturday for a lack of diversity.
“The lack of diversity in Dan Malloy’s transition team is a slap in the face to all of the urban areas in the State of Connecticut. Clearly Dan Malloy would not have been elected if the minority communities did not come out in record numbers on election day”, Scot X. Esdaile, president of Connecticut’s NAACP said in an email. “Only time will tell, but we demand substantial representation at the table.”
But the Malloy’s Chief of Staff Tim Bannon said the statement is premature and unfortunate.
“It’s unfortunate that the NAACP chose not to discuss their concerns with us first before sending out a press release,“ Bannon said. “The fact is that the transition team has not yet been named. Some of the names they cite are wrong, and there are other people who will be joining the team whose names they don’t even have.“
Some of the names Esdaile included in the press release included Howard Rifkin, Lori Aronson, Mark Ojakian, David McQuade, Kevin Sullivan, and Bill Curry, none of whom have been announced as part of the Malloy transition team. Aside from Lt. Governor-elect Nancy Wyman the only other members of Malloy’s team include Bannon and Office of Policy and Management Secretary Ben Barnes.
“If the NAACP would like to discuss diversity within the transition team or the future administration, we’re happy to have that discussion,” Bannon said.
Malloy is expected to announce more members to his transition team on Monday.
