Calling her 22-year career as State Senator for the 26th District “challenging but very rewarding,” Judith Freedman, 69, of Westport, announced she would not be seeking reelection this fall.

On the steps of Wilton town hall Monday morning, flanked by longtime supporters, fellow legislators and friends, Ms. Freedman endorsed the candidacy of State Representative Toni Boucher, 58, of the 143rd District in Wilton and Norwalk, to replace her.

“There are always compelling reasons to make one want to stay in this job, but this is the time for me to move ahead and for someone else to take up the torch,” said Ms. Freedman. “After a great deal of thought, soul searching and consultation with my husband, I have decided not to seek reelection for the State Senate.”

“I am proud of the record I forged on your behalf. Whatever I have done, it has always been with and for the people of the 26th.”

In endorsing Ms. Boucher, Wilton’s representative since 1996, Ms. Freedman said her counterpart in the legislature “is tenacious about the issues common to this district.”

“She has an excellent, proven track record which exhibits a strong commitment to public service,” said Ms. Freedman. “She is an outstanding state representative, and I have no doubt, she will be an outstanding State Senator for the seven towns in the 26th, recognizing that a possible opponent in this race comes from the left side of the spectrum and is not in sync with the thinking of this district.”

Ms. Boucher's presumptive opponent in the race, John Hartwell, a Democrat from Westport, is a strategy consultant to the financial services industry.

“We really tried hard to make Judi change her mind,” said Ms. Boucher of the efforts of party leaders and friends.

“In my decision to seek our party’s nomination as its candidate for the 26th District Senate seat, I am profoundly conscious of the enormous responsibility that comes with this office,” said Ms. Boucher. “It has been a very great privilege for me to represent New Canaan, Norwalk and Wilton in the House. I hope now that I may look forward to another great privilege — that of building on Senator Freedman’s solid foundation of trust and dedicated advocacy to represent the seven towns of the 26th District in the Senate.”

The 26th District includes the towns of Bethel, New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Weston, Westport and Wilton.

Ms. Freedman is a Chief Deputy Republican Leader and is the Senate ranking member of the Government Administration and Elections Committee, according to her online biography.

In addition, she is the senate-ranking member of the Select Committee on Children, and is a member of the Appropriations Committees, which oversees developing the state budget, and the Legislative Management Committee, which oversees the business of the General Assembly.

Complete coverage will appear in this week’s edition of The Bulletin.