Democrat enters Connecticut House race

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Former Norwich, Conn., Alderman James Sullivan, a Democrat, announced his bid for Connecticut's GOP-held second district congressional seat.

Sullivan, a former congressional aide and financial adviser, will be competing in the party primary against Shaun McNally, a former member of the Connecticut General Assembly. The winner will take on two-term U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons, a Republican, in the general election.

Simmons, the first Republican member of the state's congressional delegation to call for the resignation of embattled GOP Gov. John Rowland, was last re-elected with 54 percent of the total of almost 220,000 votes.