U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who served as Connecticut’s attorney general for 20 years before becoming a senator, said Friday he would not be interested in succeeding outgoing U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.

The state’s senior senator said he is honored to be mentioned as a possible candidate to replace Holder but intends to keep the job he has now.

“I am honored to be mentioned as possibly serving as United States attorney general, but I am more honored to serve and work for the people of Connecticut as their U.S. senator,” Blumenthal told The Day by phone Friday evening. “I am looking forward to continuing to fight and advocate for the people of Connecticut in the job I have now.”

Prior to his 20 years as the state’s top lawyer, Blumenthal served as the U.S. attorney for Connecticut, from 1977 until 1981.

Holder, the nation’s first black attorney general, announced his resignation Thursday after six years as the country’s top prosecutor. Holder has said he will continue to work until his successor is confirmed by the Senate. President Barack Obama has not yet announced who he intends to nominate for the job.

When asked on Friday, Blumenthal declined to say whether anyone at the White House or Department of Justice has approached him to gauge his interest in the attorney general’s post or to seek his advice about other possible candidates.

“As a member of the Armed Forces Committee and the Judiciary Committee, I am in contact often with both the Department of Justice and the White House and other government agencies, and I avoid talking about what kind of conversations I have with them,” the senator said.

As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, though, Blumenthal will be part of the process to vet the president’s nominee. Then, he and the 99 other senators will take a vote to confirm or reject the nominee.

“I would hope that the next attorney general will have experience and expertise in prosecution as well as the hugely challenging policy issues regarding immigration, prisons, civil rights and liberties that the country faces today,” Blumenthal said. “And equally important, the temperament, personal depth and judgment that is required of someone in very challenging times.”

Blumenthal was mentioned as a name “under consideration, but considered less likely” in a Politico Magazine article on Thursday about the rationale behind Holder’s resignation.

Candidates under consideration for the post include Solicitor General Donald Verrilli, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara, Labor Secretary Tom Perez, U.S. Attorney for Washington state Jenny Durkan, Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

c.young@theday.com

Twitter: @ColinAYoung