Eastern Connecticut Democrats endorsed U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney’s bid for a 10th consecutive term Monday night during a nominating convention at Coventry High School.

“It was an honor to accept the Democratic nomination to serve as the representative for Connecticut’s Second District ― the largest congressional district in the state,” Courtney said Tuesday in a statement.

Nominating speeches were given by Emily Hulevitch, an Enfield schoolteacher whom Courtney said expressed appreciation for his support of public education; Sherri Dayton, a Backus Hospital nurse and labor leader who has worked alongside him “advocating for better protections for health care and social service workers;” and Velma Williams, a 20-year Electric Boat employee he described as “an integral part and leader of the Electric Boat apprenticeship program, which has fueled the historic increase in hiring at the shipyard.”

Courtney, of Vernon, said the speeches provided “a clear expression of my agenda in Congress now and into the future.”

He serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. He is the ranking member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces.

First elected to Congress in 2006, Courtney has won reelection by comfortable margins eight times. His closest reelection race came two years ago when he defeated Republican Mike France with 58.2% of the vote to France’s 40.2%.

France, opposing Courtney for a second time, is expected to be nominated by Second District Republicans when they hold their nominating convention next Monday night at Norwich Free Academy.

b.hallenbeck@theday.com