HARTFORD, CT — The support of organized labor wasn’t enough to convince Hamden Rep. Michael D’Agostino to stay in the race for the Democratic nomination for attorney general.
D’Agostino dropped his exploratory bid for attorney general Friday and opted to run for re-election to his House seat.
“This campaign has never been about me, it has always been about how we can build a brighter future for our state and our country,” D’Agostino said. “At this time, I believe that the best thing that I can do as we work towards this goal is to run for re-election to the Connecticut House of Representatives. This decision is not the end of the road, it is simply a different path. I look forward to continuing the fight for progressive issues as we work together to lead our state forward.”
The three-term state representative, who defended the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition contract last July in the House, was one of a handful of candidates seeking the Democratic nomination.
His exit leaves Sen. Paul Doyle of Wethersfield, Clare Kindall, an assistant attorney general, former federal prosecutor Chris Mattei, and Rep. William Tong of Stamford.
It’s unclear who will pick up D’Agostino’s labor support.
Based on a straw poll at the recent AFL-CIO convention, Mattei, a former union organizer, received 24.8 percent of the vote, while D’Agostino receive 47.7 percent and Tong receive 11.4 percent. Kindall received 7.4 percent and Doyle, who was slow to support the SEBAC agreement and voted in favor of a Republican budget proposal, received 0 percent of the 216 delegates present.
The straw poll didn’t lead to the endorsement of any of the candidates. The AFL-CIO will meet again in June to endorse candidates for statewide office.