CT Patch Candidate Profile: Rob Hotaling For Governor

CONNECTICUT — Rob Hotaling faces a tough battle to become Connecticut's next governor. He faces off against incumbent Gov. Ned Lamont and Republican Bob Stefanowski, both of whom have larger campaign bank accounts and name recognition.

Hotaling, 44, of Cheshire won the Independent Party nomination, which Stefanowski also sought. All three candidates have a business background.

Hotaling told Patch he is the best candidate for governor because he is beholden to the best ideas, and not party ideology. He is a senior vice president at Webster bank. Previously, he launched a tech startup that focused on gunshot detection to aid police and public safety workers.

Connecticut Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Campaign website

Education

UConn Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Master of Community Service; Stanford University Professional Certification in Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Leadership & Strategy

Occupation

Senior Vice President for Webster Bank; Advisory Board Member at Ithaca College, STS Capital Partners and xFusion Technologies; GLG Council Member; Former Founder & CEO of gunshot detection startup Verbi, VP of Cloud & Mobile Engineering and Director of Software Engineering at Kitchen Brains, Board Member and CTO of Supply Insight, Director of Mobile Solutions at WDTS, Managing Consultant & IT Solution and Mobile Application Architect at IBM GBS, Manager & Senior Software Developer at Paloma Partners (Bank of Montreal)

Family

Proud husband and father. Four children aged 6-13.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Previous public office, appointive or elective

No

Why are you seeking this office?

The registered unaffiliated independent voters are the largest voting bloc in Connecticut at 41% for a reason. Only an Independent governor, not beholden to either major party, can break through the partisan divide that impedes Connecticut's progress and prosperity.

The most important facing my constituents is ____ and this is what I intend to do about it:

The lopsided 86% service economy worsened due to inflation and a potential recession. I plan to fix this by (1) eliminating business property taxes and vehicular taxes then offsetting any revenue loss by towns with expanded Education Cost Sharing funding, (2) eliminating burdensome regulations and wasteful spending, (3) closing the achievement gap and addressing the job shortage with better training, recruitment and retention of workers, and (4) making strategic investments in infrastructure.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I’m an Independent candidate beholden only to the best ideas, not party ideology, where I can understand, respect and collaborate with all sides on an issue after prior membership in both major parties. As a results-driven business-technology executive and proven-problem solver across numerous industries and cultures, only I can deliver the change Connecticut so desperately needs.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

Connecticut is bottom five in the nation for taxation, cost of living, cost of doing business, and achievement gap.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

Breaking the partisan gridlock; restructuring ECS to be based on class size and student-teacher ratio not income and property taxes; addressing the labor shortage with retraining, retaining and recruiting; reducing health care costs by expanding community health center access; addressing the need in many communities for affordable housing; and offering a public health care option for seniors who have lived or worked in Connecticut for at least 10 years.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

(1) I graduated from UConn with a degree in Electrical Engineering and Masters in Community Service with executive leadership training from IBM and Stanford University’s School of Business and School of Engineering in Leadership & Strategy and Innovation & Entrepreneurship. (2) I’m a Senior Vice President at a $65B bank serving as a digital work stream leader going through a large bank merger with a wealth of knowledge and experience across finance, technology and numerous industries (3) I founded a tech startup in gunshot detection working closely with police and military to dramatically improve school safety and save lives (4) Served in data and strategy for a successful Connecticut gubernatorial campaign (5) All the while, I am raising four children with my wife.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

“You and I own our future and it’s not controlled by our past - it’s controlled by our decisions. Every moment of your life, you could change everything. It’s in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped. Choose now. Choose well.” - Tony Robbins

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am a hands-on technology and business leader with extensive experience over 20 years in bringing people together and finding effective solutions to large, difficult problems across numerous industries. My experience spans banking, hedge fund settlements, IoT, gunshot detection, food automation, patents and trademarks, casino gaming systems, and asset tracking. I fight for economic empowerment, affordability, civil and voting rights protection, ranked choice voting and open primaries, ballot access, combating gun violence, closing the achievement gap and financial literacy. I value civility, accountability, and transparency. I hope I've earned your vote by absentee or on Nov 8th.