Republican Sen. Andrew Roraback of Goshen is officially exploring a run for attorney general.
In January Roraback told CTNewsjunkie.com that he was seriously considering a run, but this Friday he took the plunge and filed the papers.
Roraback, 49, a self-described “New England Republican” and “country lawyer,” said he will explore running for attorney general for probably the next month or so before deciding if he wants to become a full-fledged candidate.
While he’s served in the Senate for almost 16 years, and is well-known in his district, Roraback said he needs to go out across the state and gauge support for his candidacy.
And while party politics may play a part in getting to the attorney general’s office, Roraback says that once elected, the attorney general serves all the people. And while he may not always agree with Attorney General Richard Blumenthal’s approach to the job, Roraback says he would aspire to the same work ethic and accessibility Blumenthal brought to the job.
“Voters in Connecticut are a discerning lot and are able to look through party labels at the qualities of an individual candidate,” Roraback said Friday.
Meanwhile, unlike Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz who is running on the Democratic side, Roraback said he would participate in the public campaign finance system. He refrained from commenting on Bysiewicz’s qualifications, which are being challenged in court, but said he was disappointed when she opted out of the public campaign finance system.
Roraback joins John Pavia, of Easton, in considering a run for the Republican nomination.
There has not been a Republican attorney general since 1959, the year before Roraback was born.
