WATERBURY, CT – State Senator Sam Caligiuri issued the following statement today on his entrance into the Fifth Congressional District campaign:

“Over the last eight months, I have devoted myself to running for the United States Senate because I believe that Chris Dodd has failed the people of Connecticut and that we need a Senator who will put the people of Connecticut first. I have been joined in that race by other Republican candidates for whom I have come to have a great deal of respect, and who I have concluded are in a better position than I am to defeat Senator Dodd. Therefore, I am withdrawing my candidacy for the United States Senate.

But my desire to serve the people of Connecticut and to fight to make life better for them is stronger than ever. And electing a new Senator is not the only change that we must make in order to achieve this goal. I have been deeply humbled by the outpouring of people who have urged me to run for Congress in the Fifth District and for the many citizens throughout Connecticut who have encouraged me to run for Governor. As I have listened to their arguments in favor of each position, I have asked myself where I believe I can make the greatest difference for the people of Connecticut. I have concluded that at this time I can best serve Connecticut as a Member of Congress. We will not be able to turn the Connecticut economy around with national policies that will result in higher taxes, bigger government, and a devastating large national debt. I want to go to Congress to reverse these trends so that Connecticut will be in a better position to grow jobs again. For these reasons, I am declaring my candidacy for Congress in Connecticut’s Fifth District.

While I may be running for a different office, the principles and the ideas that I had started to lay out in the Senate campaign remain true in the Congressional campaign. Our country is headed down the wrong path and we need leaders in Washington who are willing and able to stand up to pressure both from the left and the right to do what is right for the people. I said many times throughout my Senate campaign that Connecticut needs a Senator who is committed to reform, principled, and courageous enough to stand up to political pressure. We need these qualities in our Members of Congress as well, and Chris Murphy has failed us miserably in this regard.

Chris Murphy has shown that he is out of touch with the people of the Fifth District. His votes for public option health care, cap and trade, and the Wall Street bailouts demonstrate that he is far more interested in representing Nancy Pelosi than his own constituents. I look forward to running a campaign that is focused on these and the other issues that matter to the people of the Fifth District.

I will work tirelessly to earn the Republican nomination, the support of the people of the Fifth District, and the honor to serve as its next Congressman.”

Endorsements of Sam Caligiuri’s Candidacy for the 5^th Congressional District

State Senator Caligiuri begins his campaign with strong support from leaders throughout the Fifth District. These endorsements represent 31 of the 41 towns in the 5^th Congressional District.

State Senator Toni Boucher, 26^th District

State Senator John McKinney, 28^th District

State Senator Andrew Roraback, 30^th District

State Senator Kevin Witkos, 8^th District

This list represents four of the six State Senators in the 5^th District other than Senator Caligiuri.