McKinney to run for governor

Senate Minority Leader John McKinney announced he’ll be making a run for governor to unseat Gov. Dannel P. Malloy in 2014.

McKinney, a key supporter of the recent gun control legislation package, said he believes Malloy has steered the state’s economy into the wrong direction.

Citing unprecedented tax increases and tax breaks for a select number of large corporations, McKinney reportedly said he wants a statewide referendum next year of Malloy’s economic development polices, according to the Connecticut Post.

A Republican legislator, McKinney represents the towns of Easton, Fairfield, Newtown, Weston and Westport.

Other potential GOP challengers include Greenwich businessman Tom Foley, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton and Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti.

In a Quinnipiac University poll released last month, voters favored Foley as the lead Republican nominee with 36 percent of the vote, followed by McKinney with 11 percent.

Voters in the poll favored Foley, who ran against Malloy in the 2010 gubernatorial race, in a rematch by 3 percentage points.