Bysiewicz in Middletown: I will run for attorney general

Bysiewicz in Middletown: I will run for attorney general

Wednesday, January 13, 2010 12:37 PM EST

MIDDLETOWN - Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz today announced she is running for the position of attorney general, abandoning her bid for governor.

Appearing at City Hall in Middletown, she said she knows how to fight for the people of the state after six years in her position.

"As your attorney general, I would continue to fight for the people of Connecticut," she said.

The current attorney general, Richard Blumenthal, announced last week that he will seek a position in the U.S. Senate vacated by Chris Dodd, who announced he will retire.

"It had been my plan to explore a run for governor, until things changed last week," Bysiewicz said. "I have always thought that this was one of the most important positions in the state."

The secretary said she will work very hard to become the best attorney general she can be. She said she knows Blumenthal well, and "those are very big shoes to fill."

"It was one of the most difficult decisions I have made in my life," Bysiewicz said.

When asked by a television reporter whether she would pledge to stay in the attorney general position for the entire four year term and not seek another office, she declined to answer directly.

"One thing I have learned about politics is to never speculate about the future, because you never know," she said. "I pledge to work very hard to win the attorney general position."

She touted her record of preserving the voting rights of veterans and guaranteeing everyone access to the ballot as well as her crackdown on illegal businesses in the state, which brought in more than $5 million fines from unlicensed companies, she said.

Bysiewicz was born and raised in Middletown, and her children go to Middletown schools. Her oldest daughter just started her freshman year at Wesleyan University.

"I worked for six years for two of the most prominent law firms in the country," Bysiewizc said. "I pledge to you that I will bring a very strong work ethic to the position of attorney general. We want the people of Connecticut to be safe."

URL: http://www.middletownpress.com/articles/2010/01/13/news/doc4b4df510c792f275759624.prt

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