Rell backs Roraback in race for Conn. House

DANBURY, Conn. (AP) — Former Gov. M. Jodi Rell has emerged from a quiet retirement to endorse fellow Republican Andrew Roraback in his bid for Connecticut's only open U.S. House seat.

Rell appeared in front of Danbury City Hall on Tuesday to announce her support for Roraback, a state senator she's known for years.

She said she's backing Roraback, who is running against Democrat Elizabeth Esty, because she said some critics are trying to portray him as a "right-wing nut."

Rell said Roraback is a moderate and fiscal conservative. And she said he supports women's access to abortion, which she favors.

The former governor has kept a low profile since leaving office in January 2011. She attended a memorial service in Westport last year marking the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

But until now, Rell has avoided politics.