Tong’s Back — and Running for Mayor of Stamford

State Rep. William Tong, the Stamford Democrat who made a long-shot bid for U.S. Senate in 2012, is back in the news today: He’s running for mayor of his hometown.

“The rumors are true,” Tong tweeted this afternoon. “I am running for mayor of Stamford and I could not be more excited. Let’s get this city moving again!”

According to the Stamford Advocate’s Kate King, Tong plans to focus on five areas: rebuilding the city’s infrastructure, improving schools and public safety, supporting small businesses and affordable housing.

Tong was one of three Democrats running for the Senate seat formerly held by Joe Lieberman. The moderate Democrat has a compelling personal story ; the son of Chinese immigrants, he worked his way up from cleaning the restrooms in the family restaurant to attending a string of prestigious private schools, including the University of Chicago School of Law. But it wasn’t enough for him to topple frontrunner Chris Murphy, who wound up winning the seat.