Posted on 04/30/2005 2:49:33 PM PDT by ChuckK
BURLINGTON — Gov. Jim Douglas ended more than a week of increasing political speculation Saturday, announcing he would not run for U.S. Senate in 2006.
But, his stalwart sidekick, Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie, quickly stepped up to fill the speculation about who in the GOP will take on U.S. Rep. Bernie Sanders, who has said he intends to run for the Senate.
“I am thinking about it,” Dubie told reporters in a crowded hallway outside Douglas' announcement.
Dubie said he would consider a run for U.S. Senate or U.S. House, but not without consulting his family first. “For me, it’s not what’s in the best interest of the White House, but what’s in the best interest of my house," he said.
Douglas said his announcement, which came just 10 days after Jeffords said he would not run for re-election in 2006 due to health reasons, was designed to“ put an end to the peculation, the parsing, and the political jockeying that distracts” from achieving key legislative items such as solving the Medicaid deficit, balancing the state budget, and health care reform.
“I have heard from a number of Vermonters in the past 10 days, and they have told me they want me to remain as governor in order to moderate the influence of a very liberal legislature,” said Douglas.
Douglas said two weeks ago that he is very likely to run for re-election, but is not ready to make a formal announcement.
Republicans desperately want to retake the Senate seat they held while Jeffords was in office as a member of the GOP. In 2001, Jeffords made national headlines when he dropped out of the Republican party to become an independent. Jeffords made the switch in opposition to many of then newly-elected Pres. George W. Bush’s policies on education and the environment. The switch threw the control of the Senate into the hands of the Democrats.
Sanders, also an independent, has already stated he intends to run for Jeffords’ open seat, but has not made a formal announcement. Sanders received an early statement of support from Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, and from the liberal online advocacy group MoveOn.org.
Douglas said that he had been contacted by the White House and Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., who is heading up the Republican Senate campaigns, about running for Jeffords’ seat.
“The speculation that has surrounded this issue, however, has been an unfortunate distraction from the work we need to accomplish this year and has caused other political leaders and pundits to parse and over-analyze all decisions and statements made,” Douglas said.
Dubie, too, said he has had conversations with individuals from the White House about possible runs for higher office, including U.S. House or U.S. Senate, he said. “The governor just made his announcement, so I have some thinking to do. I am also very mindful that we are in a very delicate stage in the legislature right now.”
Dubie is currently serving his second term as Lt. Governor. He was first elected to the post in 2002 after winning a three-way contest against Progressive Anthony Pollina and Demcrat Peter Shumlin with less than 50 percent of the total vote. He again won a three-way race in 2004, defeating Democrat Cheryl Rivers and Progressive Steve Hingtgen and garnered 56 percent of the vote.
Greg Parke, of Rutland, who ran unsuccessfully against Sanders for the U.S. House last year is the only announced Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate. Others, including IDX co-founder Richard Tarrant and former U.S. Senate candidate, and businessman, Jack McMullen have both expressed an interest in running.
Douglas said he is not encouraging any one candidate, or urging any others to run, but said he is talking with prospective candidates and expects the GOP to field a strong contender against Sanders, and any Democrat who may run for office.
Douglas said neither he nor the state GOP had conducted any polls to aid in his decision, disputing the notion that Sanders’ popularity would make it nearly impossible for a GOP candidate to defeat him.
“In many ways, this was an easy decision,” he said. “The principal criterion I used to arrive at it was simply to ask: How best can I serve the people of Vermont.”
The make up of Vermont’s three-person congressional delegation has not changed in 15 years, since Bernie Sanders won his U.S. House seat in 1990, defeating one-term Congressman Peter Smith. Jeffords gained his Senate seat in 1988, after seven terms in the House. Sen. Patrick Leahy has served since 1974, when he became the only Democrat ever elected to this office
Does she have one successfull canidate that she can claim credit for yet?
Elizabeth Dole is a highly qualified candidate to run against Hillary. I wonder how she would do? I'm guessing, not good.
Why would Dole challenge Hillary for the NY Senate seat? She is already a Senator from NC.
Its pretty pathetic that Elizabeth Dole can't even find a credible canidate to run against Hillary.
So far, Hilaary has no serious GOP challengers, and she may get her senate seat back again by simple default.
Jeffords leaves as the new Benedict Arnold of the 21st century. The worst pos traitor in Senate history.
Congratulations, Vermont. Will you be the first state to send a Communist into the chambers of the United States Senate? Sure looks like it. By the way...an important lesson on the importance of voting: Bernie Sanders was first elected as Mayor of Burlington, Vermont by TEN VOTES!!! If just ELEVEN Republicans had bothered going to the polls that day; Bernie Sanders might have relegated to an insignificant footnote in Vermont political history. Instead, we may get Senator Sanders. Excuse me while I PUKE!
If the GOP allows him to be described as an "Independent" rather than a socialist, they deserve to lose this seat to him.
Sorry, pal, too late. NY already beat Vermont to that highly dubious ''honour''.
Will Vermonters be so foolish as to elect Bernie Sanders to the Senate? Why not? They elected him to the House.
You've got a point there!
There is a residency requirement.
Hillary barely scraped by and so did Dole.
States may decide their own residency requirements.
That said, there probably is a law prohibiting it anyway.
There is NO may about it. Count her as another win for the Senate. If only Rudy didn't drop out, we would have seen the last of that ugly face.
Not for NY Senate, for the nomination for President. Dole is much more qualified.
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