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"We are blessed to live in not just the best country on earth, but the most magnificent democracy in the history of the world," Malloy said. "While I am disappointed in the results of last night’s presidential election, I know that we are not weakened as a country or a state. We are resilient."
Malloy was a strong supporter of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, who won in Connecticut but lost overall to Republican Donald Trump in the race for president.
The Connecticut governor endorsed Clinton last year and spoke this summer at the Democratic National Convention, where Clinton gained the nomination. Malloy has also gained national attention earlier this year as a guest of First Lady Michelle Obama at the State Of The Union Address.
Malloy praised the nation's peaceful transition of power "no matter how strongly any of us feel about the results."
He also spoke of the right of Americans to express their views on the election and analyzed the reasons for the Trump victory.
"At the core of this election, and perhaps at the core of the results, was that a very large portion of our country feels left behind or left out … they feel like they are no longer sharing equally in our nation’s promise of prosperity," he said.
"We may disagree on how to fix that, but the feeling is shared among people of different races, religions, genders, states, and political parties," Malloy said. "Now, we can work to understand and even embrace that dynamic in our country, and work together to fix it, because we all deserve to participate in the American Dream."
In Connecticut, with a shift of power in the state legislature, "we have an opportunity and even an obligation to work even better together, to find even more common ground," Malloy said.
Republicans made gains in the state House of Representatives, with Democrats going from an 87 to 64 majority to a 79 to 72 majority. In the Senate, it appears to now be an 18 to 18 split after a 21 to 15 Democratic majority.
Malloy said he plans to invite legislative leaders from both parties to begin informal discussions of their goals.
"Connecticut can show the country that we can continue to make progress, even when we feel divided. We can demonstrate that it is possible to fight hard throughout a tough election, and then get back to work on behalf of our constituents," Malloy said.
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