Politicians always have to be looking ahead.      For Republican Tom Foley, he is looking beyond 2012, and at 2014, the year of the next governor’s race.     “I’d like to run again,”  Foley told me without hesitation.

Foley lost the 2010 race by just over 6,000 votes.   His plan is to watch the job Governor Malloy does, and as his term progresses, so will Foley’s decision making about his future plans. 

During a taping of  “Face the State with Dennis House,”  the Greenwich businessman told me if Malloy does a great job and takes care of the issues important to Foley, there probably won’t be a rematch.      Foley believes the new Governor must get the state on track, increase jobs in the private sector, and improve inner city schools.  He also said he would very disappointed if Malloy raises taxes, saying the problem is not revenue, but rather cutting spending.   If there is a tax hike, look for the former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland to challenge his former rival.     Based on history alone it could be a tough race.   The last time Connecticut voters turned an incumbent governor out of office was in 1954, when Republican John Lodge was defeated by Democrat Abraham Ribicoff.

Foley will remain a visible force in politics in a state that is now “bluer than he had realized.”    He calls the fact that our entire congressional delegation and two senators are Democrats “troubling and not good for the state.”    He has created the Connecticut Policy Institute, a think tank which will focus on education, particularly in the cities of our state, and making our state more competitive in business.   CPI will produce op-ed pieces and advocacy work.

Foley also talks about who he would like to see as the next party chairman, and why running for the senate in 2012 isn’t something he wants to do. 

UPDATE:  here is the video of the interview