Blumenthal Running for AG, Not Gov.

There are a few people vying for Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s job, but it does not look like  Attorney General Richard Blumenthal will be one of them.

Blumenthal’s name has been discussed as a possible contender for the spot but he said Monday he will run for a sixth term as Attorney General  in 2010.

People who do plan to run include Connecticut Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz and former state House Speaker James Amann. Other names in the mix include Stamford Mayor Dannel P. Malloy and Sen. Gary D. LeBeau. Rell has not said whether she'll seek re-election.

“I am as excited and enthusiastic as ever about the challenges and opportunities in this job. I will continue to fight for Connecticut's people -- fight against consumer fraud, environmental harm, child abuse and neglect, financial wrongdoing, waste and mismanagement in government, and other violations of law,” Blumenthal said in a statement released Monday about his re-election bid.
 
“I look forward to working in collaboration with the new federal administration on historic, unprecedented tasks ahead -- restoring our economy and jobs, providing health care, reforming our financial regulatory system, and enabling effective law enforcement.  I look forward to continuing opportunities for public service in the future,” he said.
Blumenthal’s decision to run again for AG and not governor is getting some enthusiastic response from the people who do plan to run for that office.

The contenders seem to breathing a sign of relief that the growing battleground does not include Blumenthal. Malloy and Amann released statements lauding Blumenthal’s work as AG.

 “Today’s announcement by Attorney General Richard Blumenthal that he will seek reelection is great news for the State of Connecticut. As AG, he’s protected consumers and made Connecticut a safer place to live.  I’m proud to call him my friend and colleague, and we should all be proud to call him our Attorney General,” Malloy said in a news release Monday.

Expect Malloy to make an official statement Tuesday that he will jump into the race.  
 
“In regards to my own political future, I’ve made it clear that I love being Mayor of Stamford and that the only other job I’d be interested in pursuing is Governor. I’ll have more to say about that tomorrow.”

Amann, who will make his official campaign announcement Feb. 11, also responded to the news Monday morning.

"We would certainly like to invite supporters of the attorney general to join us for the ride," Amann said Monday morning. "Dick Blumenthal would have been a formidable candidate in the race. I respect his decision and his acknowledgment about the importance of the job of attorney general. He has been incredibly effective in that role and will no doubt continue to be."

Sen. Gary D. LeBeau told colleagues he is considering a run, the Courant reports.
The paper also reports that Senate President Pro Tempore Donald E. Williams Jr., D-
Brooklyn, is another possible candidate.

Blumenthal was first elected AG in 1990.

He served in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1984 to 1987, and then the State Senate from 1987 to 1990.

He was U.S. Attorney for Connecticut from 1977 to 1981.

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