Preceded by John C. Daniels Role American Politician Succeeded by Toni Harp Name John Jr. Political party Democratic Party | Religion Roman Catholic Children Dan & James Spouse Kathy DeStefano (m. 1979) | |
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Born May 11, 1955 (age 68)
New Haven, Connecticut ( 1955-05-11 ) | ||
Education University of Connecticut | ||
John DeStefano, Jr. (born May 11, 1955) is an American politician who served as the 49th mayor of New Haven, Connecticut, from 1994 until 2014. He was the Democratic nominee in 2006 for Governor of Connecticut, unsuccessfully challenging incumbent Republican Governor M. Jodi Rell. He was also the named defendant in the landmark 2009 U.S. Supreme Court case of Ricci v. DeStefano. John DeStefano is the son of a New Haven police officer. John and his wife Kathy DeStefano met at the University of Connecticut as undergraduates, where he also earned a Masters in Public Administration. Kathy DeStefano is a first grade teacher in West Haven, Connecticut, and they are the parents of two adult sons.
Career
A high-level aide under mayor Biagio DiLieto, DeStefano first ran for the mayor's office in 1989, after DiLieto announced he would not seek re-election. DeStefano won the endorsement of the New Haven Democratic Party, but was defeated in a Democratic primary by John Daniels. DeStefano successfully ran again in 1993. He served nine consecutive terms, (posting his tenth mayoral election victory in November 2011) during which his efforts included a massive overhaul of New Haven's public schools, based principally on the magnet school model, and New Haven's selection as a federal "Empowerment Zone". DeStefano was New Haven's longest serving mayor; after 10 terms in office, he announced that he would not seek an 11th term. DeStefano was a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition, an organization formed in 2006 and co-chaired by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston mayor Thomas Menino. He had to deal with public perceptions that violent crime was on the rise in New Haven.
On August 8, 2006, John DeStefano defeated Mayor Dannel Malloy (D-Stamford) in the Connecticut Democratic Primary for Governor, becoming the Democratic Party's official candidate, with running Lieutenant Governor running mate Mary Messina Glassman. DeStefano and Glassman were defeated by the very popular Rell in the general election by one of the largest majorities in state history and conceded that night. His goal was to prevent the people of Connecticut from paying for Wal-Mart healthcare, and his line was "If Wal-Mart won't cover their employee's healthcare coverage, we will. And, we'll send Wal-Mart the bill."
Following his defeat by Rell, DeStefano focused his attention on a controversial plan to issue official city ID cards to city residents, including undocumented immigrants. Proponents called the cards a way for undocumented aliens to gain access to city services and bank accounts (reducing undocumented immigrants' potential to avoid bank fees and interest, while also providing that they don't have to hold large amounts of cash, which made them and people who looked to criminals like undocumented immigrants targets for theft), while critics considered the cards an encouragement to illegal immigration. Proponents also pointed out that the undocumented immigrants are already living in the city, and are the responsibility of the federal government, and that these cards would serve to bring people out of the shadows and under a small degree of government supervision. The city began issuing the cards on July 24, 2007.
DeStefano focused his tenure as mayor on improving education and public safety in New Haven, as well as on economic development. Notable initiatives included the Livable City Initiative, begun in 1996, which promoted homeownership and removed blight, and the Citywide Youth Initiative. In 1995, DeStefano launched a 15-year, $1.5 billion School Construction Program, already half finished, to replace or renovate every New Haven public school. DeStefano was President of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities and President of the National League of Cities.
In 2008, DeStefano announced massive budget cuts to balance the city's $456 million budget, including the potential closures of an elementary school, police substations, and senior centers. About 160 city employees were expected to be laid off. [1]
In 2009, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against DeStefano in the discrimination case of Ricci v. DeStefano. The Supreme Court ordered the city to promote 20 white and Hispanic firefighters whom the City had denied promotion alleging the test was biased. Justice Samuel Alito's concurring opinion suggested that DeStefano had been motivated by improper political considerations in denying the promotions. [2]