Tom Foley is considering dropping out of the Senate race to run for governor.
His office issued a statement on Tuesday afternoon saying he's considering altering his original plan, which was to challenge Sen. Chris Dodd in 2010.
“Last spring, I entered the race for the United States Senate because I wanted to serve the people of Connecticut. Recently, the political landscape in Connecticut has changed,” he said.
That change is that Gov. M. Jodi Rell is not seeking re-election.
People have encouraged him to run, Foley said in a statement, “because they believe I could better serve Connecticut today as Governor than as a Senator.
“I have a background and set of skills uniquely suited to addressing the very serious spending problems and other economic challenges now facing our state,” Foley said.
He said he will talk with family and others whose judgment he trusts about whether to run for Governor.
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“I plan to make a decision by next week and will announce my decision at that time. I won’t be making any further statements about my decision until then,” Foley said.
While Foley is mulling a switch, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Sam Caligiuri made it official that he is stepping away from the Senate race. Instead of challenging Dodd, he will instead challenge 5th District Rep. Chris Murphy.
Caligiuri, a state senator from Waterbury, says he's withdrawing from the Senate race because there are other Republican candidates who are in a better position to defeat Dodd.
Chris Healy, chairman of the Connecticut Republicans, had asked Caligiuri to consider switching races, saying he'd be a top candidate in the race.
Caligiuri says many people have urged him to run for Congress or governor. The former acting mayor of Waterbury says he can best serve the state as a member of Congress. He says Murphy is out of touch with the district.
