Connecticut's new governor-elect, Democrat Dan Malloy, very well may look back six months from now and acknowledge that winning was the easy part.

Not that it was easy at all.

The gubernatorial battle was contentious, and in the end it was a razor-thin victory for Gov.-elect Malloy, who out-polled his Republican opponent, Tom Foley, by about 5,600 votes of the 1.1 million cast.

But the biggest challenges still lie ahead: making Connecticut solvent and creating jobs. The new governor was elected in large measure by the state's largest cities and its unions, constituencies that will be sure to remind him of their contributions when budget decisions are being made.

But Gov.-elect Malloy said while campaigning that everything would be on the table when it comes to closing the state's multibillion-dollar deficit, and we have every reason to believe him. His 14 years as mayor of Stamford helped to prepare him for this difficult job. He is fully aware of the painful decisions that must be made and is committed to putting the state's fiscal house in order and preparing a budget that Connecticut can afford.

Gov.-elect Malloy said Monday he isn't naive about what he must accomplish and knows that he represents everyone in the state, not just the people who voted for him.

"I have 100 percent of the responsibility. My mandate is to do the best I can with my running mate," he said.

He and Lt. Gov.-elect Nancy Wyman plan to push for more honest, transparent accounting of state spending by advocating for GAAP, or Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. With Democrats still dominating the General Assembly, implementing that change will be a test. In the past, lawmakers have favored the looser accounting system that has masked the seriousness of financial problems.

Gov.-elect Malloy will send a strong message early if he follows through on his pledge.

He has also advocated for allowing municipalities to share in the revenues generated from utility, cable, sales and hotel taxes - a sign of innovative thinking toward solving the state's fiscal mess. Gov.-elect Malloy has spoken eloquently about the over-reliance of the state on local property taxes and the need to reform education funding. He gets what is wrong with Connecticut, now he has got to fix it.

Change will not occur overnight, but it can't drag on forever. Too much time has already been wasted and too little accomplished.

There are plans by the Malloy administration to shrink the size of state government, reducing the number of state agencies. He plans a smaller gubernatorial staff and envisions fewer state employees over time. And he will have to address the issue of increases in the costs of state employee benefits and the unsustainable retiree pension obligations.

The first Democratic governor since William A. O'Neill stepped down in January 1991, Gov.-elect Malloy faces formidable challenges. This newspaper endorsed his opponent, Mr. Foley, not because Mr. Malloy isn't qualified but because he is so closely aligned with labor and the unions that are expecting him to protect them. But there will have to be cuts somewhere, and Gov.-elect Malloy promised to make them. We have no reason to doubt him.

Congratulations, Gov.-elect Malloy. You were instrumental in Stamford's renaissance; do it for Connecticut now.