Massachusetts state Sen. Steven Baddour sent HART a glowing endorsement of Daniel Grabauskas on Tuesday. HART tapped Grabauskas as the lone finalist to become CEO of the authority, and his confirmation hearing is on Thursday.

Baddour, a Democrat and former chair of the state’s Joint Committee on Transportation, provided a copy of the letter to DC808 after we called to ask him about his experiences with Grabauskas. Baddour called him “one of the most astute transportation officials I have ever had the opportunity to work with.” 

The senator also highlighted Grabauskas’ reputation for fiscal responsibility and prudent management. Baddour described Grabauskas as energetic, accessible and a “great communicator.”

“Implementing required fare increases, aggressively pursuing cost-saving measures which were expected and openly communicated to the public, and identifying the sources of these fiscal challenges in order to win legislative support for the MBTA, were all challenging but necessary duties of the General Manager,” Baddour wrote. 

The senator said Grabauskas handled these responsibilities admirably, while maintaining “excellent” relationships with unionized transit workers. 

Grabauskas, a Republican, was ousted from his role at the helm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in 2009 amid political pressure and concerns about his leadership in the wake of two train crashes. 

In a story published on Tuesday, Civil Beat’s Michael Levine explored Grabauskas’ handling of the MBTA’s largest construction project during his tenure. The 18-mile rail line along the South Shore of Boston was completed late and 30 percent over budget.