House Majority Leader Denise Merrill has gained widespread support in her race for Secretary of the State with endorsements by 71 fellow House Democrats.
The total represents far more than half of the 114 House Democrats, and many of them gathered around Merrill as she made the announcement Wednesday in the House Democratic offices.
Some of the representatives serve in multi-town districts, and the endorsements cover 130 of the state’s 169 cities and towns. Merrill has been traveling all over the state in order to drum up support to succeed Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz, who is now running for attorney general.
“I’ve put about 10,000 miles on my car,” Merrill said. “I am not exploring. I am running for Secretary of the State.”
A longtime legislator and former co-chairwoman of the budget-writing appropriations committee, Merrill is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable lawmakers at the Capitol.
The Secretary of the State’s office is “a place where fair and clean elections must be guarded,” she said.
Merrill has strong support in the House, while another candidate, Sen. Jonathan Harris of West Hartford, has support on the Capitol’s third floor in the Senate.
Merrill was endorsed by some of the highest-ranking and longest-serving lawmakers in the state, including House Speaker Christopher Donovan of Meriden, deputy Speaker Bob Godfrey of Danbury, Rep. Jack Thompson of Manchester, transportation committee co-chairman Tony Guerrera of Rocky Hill, deputy speaker Marie Kirkley-Bey, and Rep. Mary Mushinsky of Wallingford – the dean of the House.