‘Tom…you never call!’

eartomGov. Dannel P. Malloy, along with Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, just took a star turn with legislative leaders, U.S. Sen. Dick Blumenthal and U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty in the Capitol’s ornate Old Judiciary Room.

A brief news conference ensued before Malloy and Wyman began working the roomful of supporters with hugs and smiles.

He said Republican Tom Foley (left, photo by Autumn Driscoll) made the inevitable concession call at about 12:30 p.m., a full 12 hours after the governor claimed victory from the podium of The Society Room in downtown Hartford.

Malloy and his team called the race for Malloy at about 9:30 and waited until 11:30 to call Foley’s people and point out the numbers and the inevitability of Malloy’s re-election. They were asked to call back while Foley’s team conferred, but when Malloy’s folks did call back, it rolled into voice mail.

This was around midnight, so Malloy made his way downtown to the victory party, where he proclaimed his new four-year lease.  Asked during the afternoon news conference to describe the call and Foley’s relative ease in conceding, the effusive Malloy became straight-faced

“I didn’t have my graciousness meter with me on the phone call,” Malloy said. “It was an appropriate phone call where he expressed that he had looked through the numbers and had come to the conclusion that he should call me.”

Reporter: “Did he congratulate you?”

Malloy: “I think he did.”