Murphy picks up endorsements from rest of Conn. House Delegation

U.S. Reps Chris Murphy and Jim Himes share a laugh at a rally for Carlo Leone in Stamford. Himes and the rest of the Conn. House delegation endorsed Murphy for U.S. Senate. Credit: Keelin Daly/Stamford Advocate.

U.S. Representative Chris Murphy (D-5) continues to pick up steam in his run for U.S. Senate. Murphy, who hopes to take the seat of the retiring Joseph Lieberman, gained endorsements from his fellow members in the Conn. House delegation on Tuesday.

Jim Himes (D-4), Rosa DeLauro (D-3), Joe Courtney (D-2) and John Larson (D-1) all gave Murphy their endorsement, joining the state’s congressional officers and other big name politicians who have backed Murphy.

Murphy will face competition from former Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz for the Democratic nod. Courtney had been considered a potential candidate, but announced earlier this year he would not be seeking the seat in 2012.

Here is the full release from Murphy’s office:

NEW BRITAIN – The quickly growing momentum behind Congressman Chris Murphy’s campaign for the U.S. Senate continued today with the announcement that Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-3), Congressman John Larson (CT-1), Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-2), and Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) are all endorsing Murphy’s candidacy for U.S. Senate.

Today’s announcement continues a flood of early support for Murphy from both grassroots activists and Democratic officials throughout the state. In the last few weeks, Murphy has received the support of more than 2,000 Democratic and progressive activists from around the state and dozens of Democratic leaders in the 5th Congressional District. In addition, Murphy was recently endorsed by Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen, Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, and State Comptroller Kevin Lembo.

“My friend and colleague Chris Murphy has consistently fought to make Connecticut, and this country, a better place to live. Chris has made a name for himself as a leader and a skilled legislator, and building upon the health care efforts made during his time as Chairman of the Connecticut Public Health Committee, he played a critical role in the fight to pass the Affordable Care Act. He is a proven leader, and someone who knows how to get things done for the people of Connecticut. I am pleased to endorse Chris to be the next Senator from Connecticut,” said DeLauro.

“Chris personifies the energy, vision and enthusiasm of what Connecticut needs from it government and public servants. From fighting for job creation and economic development to protecting working families, he has quickly become one of the most informed and educated leaders in the Democratic Caucus while working nonstop for his district and our great state. He is the perfect choice to represent the people of Connecticut in the U.S. Senate and has my full support,” said Larson.

“When Chris and I ran as challengers in 2006, I saw firsthand his tenacity and tireless work ethic. Over the past four years, he has paid diligent attention to his district and constituents, while not yielding a bit of the energy that carried him to that first victory. Chris is a passionate and tireless advocate for our state, and I know he will make a great U.S. Senator,” said Courtney.

“I am delighted to support Chris Murphy, one of my closest friends in the Congress, as he seeks to serve Connecticut in the United States Senate. He’s a proven leader we know we can count on to fight to create jobs, grow our businesses, and build strong communities. He knows his constituents like he knows his own family, and I look forward to being represented by him,” said Himes.

Murphy concluded: “These endorsements mean the world to me. Since I came to Congress, Rosa and John have been my mentors so I know their support in this campaign will be invaluable. Joe and I started these jobs together – we’ve grown to be close friends and I have tremendous respect for his work on behalf of the Second District. And as soon as Jim got to Congress, we hit the ground running, working together to advocate for our neighboring districts. I’m thrilled to have them on my team as we continue to build support from the grassroots and up leading into next year.”

Tom Cleary