Candidates: Connecticut Attorney General
The Attorney General is the chief civil legal officer of the State. The AG represents the interests of the people of the State of Connecticut in all civil legal matters involving the State to protect the public interest and to serve as legal counsel to all State agencies.
CANDIDATE: William Tong
OFFICE: Connecticut Attorney General (incumbent)
AGE AND PARTY: 53, Democrat
Democratic incumbent William Tong, 53, grew up in the Hartford area and attended schools in West Hartford. He graduated from Phillips Academy, Andover, Brown University, and the University of Chicago Law School.
Tong, who lives in Stamford, previously practiced for 18 years as a litigator in both State and Federal courts. He served for 12 years as a State Representative in the Connecticut General Assembly, where he served as House Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, as well as the Banking Committee. He currently serves as Eastern Region Chair and Finance Chair of the National Association of Attorneys General. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the Democratic Attorneys General Association.
During his service in the Legislature, Tong helped lead passage of legislation including the Connecticut Second Chance Act, Domestic Violence Restraining Order Act, Lost and Stolen Firearms Act, the Act Protecting Homeowner Rights, and the Act Protecting Schoolchildren.
In his tenure as AG, Tong prioritized efforts to drive down energy costs, expand access to reliable broadband internet, and ensure access to affordable healthcare. He also defended Connecticut’s post-Sandy Hook gun laws against challenges by out-of-state gun lobbies. He has fought for civil rights and freedoms, working alongside state attorneys general nationwide to protect the rights of women, minority communities, immigrants, and the LGBTQ+ community.
Tong has sued Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, alleging that the company knowingly designed and deployed harmful features on Instagram and its other social media platforms that purposefully addict youth. He’s now seeking State legislation to further combat youth social media addiction, including prohibiting social media companies from exposing minors to harmful and addictive algorithms and notifications without parental consent.
Tong has filed more than 50 lawsuits to stop President Donald Trump from defunding the police, schools, and medical research. Tong believes Trump’s policies have led to higher gas prices, expensive tariffs, gutted education budgets, and federal immigration enforcement problems.
CANDIDATE: John Bolton
OFFICE: Connecticut Attorney General (challenger)
AGE AND PARTY: 60, Republican
Republican challenger John Bolton, 60, is a practicing attorney and former Westport Planning and Zoning Commissioner. He grew up in West Hartford and has spent much of his adult life in Westport, where he currently lives.
Bolton earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Clark University in Massachusetts before returning to Connecticut to earn his Juris Doctor from the University of Connecticut School of Law. After joining the Connecticut Bar in 1990, he began practicing law and has served Connecticut clients for more than 36 years. Bolton built a solo law practice in Westport, representing individuals and serving as General Counsel to various corporate entities.
As a Westport Planning and Zoning Commissioner, he addressed complex land use issues, affordable housing, and matters affecting the special needs community. He served on Gov. John Rowland’s Task Force to retain the Hartford Whalers and later provided pro bono legal counsel to ASPIRA of Connecticut, a non-profit organization focused on education, youth development, and leadership, primarily serving Latino youth. In 2022, he represented more than 40 Connecticut schoolteachers challenging the Governor’s executive order requiring vaccinations for educators.
Bolton said his prior campaign experience and concerns about how the Attorney General’s office is being used informed his decision to run for the office. He also said the current office has become too attached to politics and not simply enforcing the law.
Bolton’s campaign platform includes challenging policies that unfairly drive-up energy prices, advocating for affordable and reliable energy, and fighting for consumers. He wants to be a strong supporter of public safety. Bolton also wants to achieve fiscal responsibility, transparency, lower health care costs, parental rights, and government accountability.
Bolton has not expressed support for President Donald Trump but has backed some of his policies. He has emphasized his campaign is about the rule of law, not political alignment with the President. Bolton has vowed to stop pursuing dozens of lawsuits against Trump and would not support the state’s lawsuit over federal tariffs, which was part of a broader Trump administration challenge. He also said he would defend certain federal actions — such as ICE arrest powers — even if they conflict with his own personal views, because he believes the Federal government, not the State, has authority in those areas.
