Connecticut Gov. Malloy will not seek re-election

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- The Connecticut governor who gained national attention for seeking stronger gun laws after 20 first-graders were killed in a school shooting and for welcoming a Syrian refugee family rebuffed by Indiana says he won't seek a third term.

Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced Thursday at the state Capitol that he and his family have decided they're "ready for another stage" in their lives.

The 61-year-old Democrat denied his decision has anything with his low public approval ratings. Much of his tenure has been marked by budget struggles, including signing budgets that included Connecticut's two largest tax increases.

Malloy says he is proud of his record.

Six educators also were killed in the 2012 shooting in at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.