Trumbull First Selectman Tim Herbst formally announced his candidacy for the 2018 Republican nomination for Connecticut governor. In a speech delivered at Trumbull High School, Herbst pointed to a state in fiscal and commercial disarray.
“Our economy is now ranked 49th in the country,” he said. “Our cost of living is ranked 48th in the country. Our failing infrastructure is ranked 42nd in the country. Our cost of doing business is ranked 47th in the country. Our tax and regulatory climate is ranked 45th in the country. While Connecticut”™s neighbors all experienced significant job growth in 2016, our state ended the year with 200 fewer jobs than the year before.”
Rallying against “the terrible damage wrought by insiders in Hartford on struggling Connecticut families,” Herbst highlighted his eight years of Trumbull leadership, noting that he “balanced eight budgets and cut taxes twice” while reducing the municipal workforce. “Our credit rating has been upgraded as a result of the reforms we have pursued and it has inspired business confidence and investment, with our economy growing each of the last eight years,” he said.
In his campaign for governor, Herbst pledged to refuse a state pension and demand the end of state pensions “for a part-time citizen legislature and the free health care some of them get when they retire.” He also stated he will not accept lobbyist donations for his campaign.
