Democrat Dodd retiring from Senate; Longtime Conn. attorney general says he’s running

Dodd, D-Conn., retiring from Senate; AG to run

HARTFORD, Conn. — U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut is announcing his retirement, and the state’s popular attorney general says he will vie for his seat.

Democratic officials tell The Associated Press that Dodd will announce Wednesday that he will not seek a sixth term in November. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of the announcement, scheduled for noon at Dodd’s home in East Haddam.

Longtime Attorney General Richard Blumenthal told the AP on Wednesday that he will run for Dodd’s seat. The Democrat is seen as one of the state’s most popular politicians. He planned to publicly announce his candidacy later Wednesday.

Blumenthal says he will announce his candidacy at 2:30 p.m. at Democratic headquarters in Hartford.

AP National Political Writer Liz Sidoti contributed to this report from Washington, D.C.