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Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz announced today that five Democratic Town Committees have unanimously voted to endorse her candidacy for Attorney General.

DTCs officially endorsing Bysiewicz include:
• Middlebury
• Middletown
• Beacon Falls
• Stafford
• East Lyme

"I am grateful for the official support from these towns," said Bysiewicz. "Town committee members are such an active group of people; they are truly paying attention and engaging in our democracy so to have their support means a lot to me."

Secretary Bysiewicz also reported that she was endorsed by locals of two major labor unions: Plumbers and Pipefitters local 777 out of Wallingford and the Connecticut Laborers District Council in Hartford.
In the endorsement letter, Connecticut Laborers' District Council Business Manager Charles LeConche said, "Congratulations on your decision to run for Attorney General! I cannot think of a better candidate for the position. The Connecticut Laborers' District Council is well aware of your many accomplishments as Secretary of State. We look forward to helping you in any way with your Attorney General campaign."

Last week Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz reported raising more than $214,000 for the first quarter and $345,000 cash on-hand. Bysiewicz is one of three Democratic candidates who have formed exploratory committees or declared for the Attorney General's race this year. The latest Quinnipiac Poll results show Bysiewicz as the clear front runner with support from 54 percent of registered Democrats.

Now in her third term as Connecticut's Secretary of the State, Bysiewicz won re-election in 2006 with almost 70 percent of the vote.

The Machinists won a decisive victory in federal court over Pratt & Whitney, stopping the illegal closure of the Cheshire jet engine repair facility and the East Hartford CARO airfoil plan.

This victory saved over 1,000 well-paying Connecticut manufacturing jobs.

This is a win not just for Connecticut's economy, but for our national security and for the men and women of the U.S. military.

They can now rest assured that the jets they fly are powered by engines built by patriotic Americans right here in Connecticut, not by facilities in Singapore and Japan.

Our state signed an agreement with Pratt & Whitney in 1993 that provided incentives for the company to continue business in Connecticut in exchange for a commitment to keep Pratt's high-quality manufacturing jobs in our state - a commitment the company has twice tried and failed to renege on. We will not let short-sighted, "take-the-money-and-run" corporate policies hold Connecticut families hostage.

When corporate leaders violate legal agreements that protect Connecticut's manufacturing economy, we will hold them accountable.

My family has a proud 70-year tradition of hard work in the plants of Pratt & Whitney. My father, aunts, uncles and cousins have all worked in Pratt factories, building airplane engines and components.

It is the commitment by thousands of Connecticut families like mine to making the finest aerospace engines in the world that has allowed Pratt & Whitney to become one of the most profitable defense contractors in history.

Keeping jobs in our state is not about protecting corporate profits--it is about protecting the future of Connecticut families.

Let us continue to be vigilant. I have fought for our economy and for the hard working men and women of organized labor as Secretary of the State. I will continue to do so as Connecticut's Attorney General.

When we are united, we win.

Today I stood shoulder to shoulder with dedicated and impassioned representatives of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence and State Representative Mae Flexer as CCADV unveiled their legislative plan for 2010.  It is problematic that Connecticut is one of five states left in America that does not have 24 hour staff at their domestic violence shelters.  Domestic violence is a widespread problem that touches people of all ages, races and socio-economic status. Even amongst our young people, 13% report being physically abused by someone they've dated.  And that's just those who have reported it to officials.  It's time that Connecticut took the steps required to help reduce these numbers.  By creating a look back period for persistent offenders, increasing education for teens and increasing access to emergency shelters, for example, we can begin to turn the tide.

As Secretary of the State, I made it one of my priorities to protect the identities of victims of domestic violence when I created the "Safe at Home/Address Confidentiality" program which protects victims of domestic violence and sexual assault by keeping their addresses confidential.  As Attorney General I pledge to continue that effort by supporting proposals such as those put forth today by CCADV.  The over 56,000 victims of domestic violence in Connecticut deserve better.

Recent events in Haiti have brought out the best and, in some cases, the worst in American generosity.  Many citizens have reached into their pockets to help those suffering from the devastation of the earthquake in Haiti even while they struggle to make ends meet here at home.  But some credit card companies are taking advantage of this good will by keeping a percentage of the donations as fees (sometimes as much as 3%) even though it costs them a fraction of that to process these transactions.  It is wrong and should stop.  These credit card companies should waive all fees for charitable donations now.

 If I become Connecticut's next Attorney General, I promise to focus my attention on these types of business practices and shine a light on their opportunistic profiteering.  I will fight to protect the rights of consumers to ensure that all of Connecticut's generosity finds its intended recipients.  Charitable contributions must be treated as untouchable, not as a prospect for corporate profit.  I vow to make that a priority in my administration as Attorney General.