Generational shift: Mark Davis (left), Jodi Latina.
The state politics baton has passed for good at New Haven’s WTNH.
Chief political correspondent Mark Davis — the guy you saw night calmly torturing elected officials with probing questions with no hint of bias or malice — announced Monday he’s retiring after 36 years at the station.
Davis had been on leave during the pandemic.
“Because I can see no safe path back to work for a man of my age and risk factors, I have decided to retire from my position at News 8/WTNH,” Davis wrote in a “Dear Friends” text-message blast.
“On a personal note, for the first time in more than 50 years, I was able to stay home on election night and watch a movie. It was great!”
Davis added in a separate tweet that he is not ill.
Gov. Ned Lamont, meanwhile, tweeted: “Connecticut is losing a titan in journalism. Mark has been a trusted source in state politics for several administrations. I hate to see him go, but I wish him and his wife nothing but the best in this new phase of their lives.”
State Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano issued a statement praising Davis for “asking the tough questions and bringing the truth to the people. It became tradition at the Capitol that Mark would ask the first question at any press conference he attended, which speaks to the respect he held in the building.”
During Davis’s absence, Jodi Latina, another veteran TV news reporter known for her even-handedness and political insight, has been working the beat. Now the shift becomes permanent. Latina started her career in WFSB’s New Haven bureau. She returned to WTNH 11 months ago after a ten-year break.