Connolly considering running for governor

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Michael Cleveland photo Mark Connolly of Portsmouth speaks to the Amherst Democrats at the Milford Unitarian Universalist Church last week.

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MILFORD – Mark Connolly isn’t sure he’s going to seek the Democratic nomination for governor, but if he does, there is one thing of which he is positive: He will not run as a pro-income tax candidate.

In this economy, he told the Democrats of Amherst, meeting last week at the Unitarian Universalist Church here, this is not the time to propose new taxes, particularly one that is broad-based.

In response to a question from John David of Amherst, Connolly, of Portsmouth, said, “I don’t think a state-wide property tax makes sense right now, I don’t think a broad-based tax makes sense right now.”

Regarding an income tax, he made a few points:

• New Hampshire residents, he said, “have said they don’t want it.”

• Coming out of a recession as we seem to be, “it’s not the time for that.”

• And he called an income tax “a divisive issue for Democrats.”

“If you want to run on a pro-income tax agenda, you’re not going to get elected,” he said, “and as a businessman, I don’t think that’s the way to go.”

But he stopped short of going into detail, saying that would wait until he announced his candidacy – if he announces his candidacy – because he wants to first study the state budget before jumping in on fiscal issues.

Connolly has more than 25 years of experience in the securities and investment business and has served eight years as director of the New Hampshire Bureau of Securities Regulation. He is also a former state representative from Bedford, and served on the transition teams of governors-elect Judd Gregg and John Lynch.

He isn’t a fan of gambling either, he said, because he fears the power of the gambling lobby.

“The next thing you know, we’ll have slot machines in gas stations,” he said, then calling that comment facetious.

In response to a question from Jack Conaway about The Pledge – a New Hampshire phenomenon in which candidates are expected to “pledge” not to support any broad-based tax – Connolly said, “Any candidate who would run this year and say he’s against any taxes, any fees, just cut, cut, cut, isn’t dealing with reality.”

Connolly, the author of “Cover Up,” a report on the lack of governmental oversight in financial regulation nation-wide, said his business background would be an asset were he to run.

“I believe in clean and open government,” he said, and his motto would be “New Hampshire first.”

“I don’t want to be a career politician,” he told the Democrats.