Stamford state Rep. William Tong, 38, announced he will seek the Democratic
Stamford state Rep. William Tong, 38, announced he will seek the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Joe Lieberman.
The decision, which Tong confirmed last week in an exclusive interview with The Advocate, comes after months of deliberations with various state and national party members as well as his family, he said.
Tong, a corporate attorney, will join an early roster of competitors that includes U.S. Rep. Christopher Murphy, D-Conn., who is perceived as an early favorite, and Susan Bysiewicz, the former secretary of the state who has strong statewide recognition.
With the exception of Hawaii, there have been relatively few elected Asian-American officials nationwide. In 2006, Tong became the first Asian-American to serve in the state’s General Assembly by beating a Republican incumbent in a district made up of areas in North Stamford and New Canaan.
Should Tong win the general election, he would become the first non-white to represent Connecticut in the U.S. Senate.
More hapas running around!