Nearly a year seperates us from the 2009 municipal elections, but the planning process has already started.  The good news today comes from Stamford, where Republican Mike Pavia announced his formation of an exploratory committee to examine a bid for Mayor. 

The current holder of the seat, Mayor Dannel Malloy, ran unsuccessfully for Governor in 2006 – a rejection so clear that the voters actually voted for his running mate, now Simsbury’s First Selectman, Mary Glassman, and not Mayor Malloy.  In his infinite wisdom, the Mayor has been, in recent weeks, publicly flirting with the idea of a second gubernatorial bid – but wait! there’s more - if and only if Attorney General Richard Blumenthal decides NOT to run for Governor. 

At this point, Stamford is only marginally better off than San Francisco, whose chief elected official, Mayor Gavin Newsom, announced today that his 7.5 hour State of the City Address will be available online via YouTube.

With the good people of Stamford left to wonder where that would leave them, the well-known local businessman Pavia is prepping to offer a better choice than Malloy in 2009.  According to the Stamford Advocate, Mr. Pavia will be in good position for the mayoral bid:

If Pavia does run, he will have better name recognition and a wider political network than any Republican candidate since Mayor Stanley Esposito, under whom Pavia served as public works commissioner from 1992-96. Democrat Dannel Malloy defeated Esposito in 1995 and every challenger since then.

With Dan Malloy busy looking for a better gig, the people of Stamford would be well advised to take a good look at the Republican candidate for Mayor over the next year.