John DeStefano, Jr.
| John DeStefano | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 49th Mayor of New Haven | |
|
In office January 6, 1994 – January 1, 2014 |
|
| Preceded by | John Daniels |
| Succeeded by | Toni Harp |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 11, 1955 New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Kathy |
| Children | Dan James |
| Alma mater | University of Connecticut, Storrs |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
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 candidate 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, CT and they are the parents of two adult sons.
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 ran again, successfully, 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.
...
Wikipedia