HARTFORD, CT — Former Democratic Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz said Wednesday that she’s close to making a decision to run for governor.
Bysiewicz, who initially filed paperwork to run in the 13th state senatorial district against Sen. Len Suzio of Meriden, said Wednesday in a phone interview that she’s raising the necessary funds so she can switch to the governor’s race.
“I haven’t made a decision yet, but if we do I want to be in a position to qualify for public financing,” Bysiewicz said.
According to her filing with the State Elections Enforcement Commission, Bysiewicz has raised $146,000 and at least $105,000 would count toward the $250,000 threshold necessary to run for governor. She has received more than 1,300 contributions from residents in 130 Connecticut cities and towns since launching her exploratory committee.
As she gets closer to making a decision, Bysiewicz has been meeting with Democratic Town Committees all over the state. On Monday, she was in Danbury. On Tuesday, it was Branford.
“Over the last several months, I have knocked on thousands of doors and spoken with people throughout the state,” Bysiewicz said. “It is clear that Connecticut needs leaders in office who are unafraid to tackle the tough task of passing a balanced budget to advance a stable business environment, job creation, rebuilding infrastructure, and instituting smart policies like protecting access to affordable health care, a path to higher education, pay equity, and paid family leave.”
Bysiewicz was running for governor in 2010 and was even ahead in the polls when she decided to run for attorney general instead.
After an attorney with a blog questioned her legal credentials, Bysiewicz essentially sued herself to get the courts to weigh in. The case went all the way to the Connecticut Supreme Court, which found she didn’t have enough years of legal practice to qualify to run for attorney general.
That year she wasn’t on the ballot.
In 2012, Bysiewicz lost the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate to U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy.
Since that time Bysiewicz returned to the private sector to practice law.
