QUOTE
Douglas opts out of Senate run; Dubie says he may get in
By Ross Sneyd, AP Political Writer | April 30, 2005
BURLINGTON, Vt. --Gov. James Douglas opted out of a run for the U.S. Senate, announcing Saturday he will seek re-election next year. Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie immediately said he may jump into the race for the open Senate seat.
Douglas said he had too many unfinished priorities as governor after just a little more than two years in office.
"The speculation that has surrounded this issue, though, 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 overanalyze all decisions and statements that are made," Douglas said in a brief speech at the University of Vermont accompanied by his wife and several top aides.
Dubie also stood along the wall as Douglas spoke and he told reporters afterward that he was considering a run to succeed Sen. James Jeffords, the independent who announced two weeks ago that he would not seek re-election to a fourth term.
"I'm interested. I'm very interested," Dubie said. "But I'm not a candidate."
Douglas had been under strong pressure from prominent Republicans, including those in Washington and the White House, to get into the Senate race against Rep. Bernie Sanders, the independent socialist congressman who already has made clear he will run.
The governor had said he would wait until after the legislative session, which may not come until early June, to announce his decision. He said he speeded up the decision because of the rampant speculation about his motives on such issues as health reform and resolving a Medicaid budget.
"To put an end to the speculation, the parsing and the political jockeying that distracts from achieving these goals, I have decided to announce my intentions now, so that we can all return our attention to the work before us," he said.
Douglas said neither he nor the state Republican Party had sponsored any polls to gauge his chances in a Senate race, although he did not address whether a national GOP group had been making such calls. He said his decision was not influenced by polls, but by his own desire to pursue his agenda at the Statehouse.
His wife, Dorothy, asked what her advice to him was, said only, "I feel that he's done a lot for the state. There's a lot more to be done here instead of in Washington."
Douglas' announcement only will spark another round of speculation, this time about which other prominent Republican may get into the race against Sanders in place of him.
Douglas' staff said the other member of the GOP who has expressed interest in the Senate race, Burlington businessman Richard Tarrant, had been told of his decision. Tarrant, Douglas and Dubie all were at a groundbreaking ceremony and luncheon at the university for a new student center, but the governor's staff said Tarrant and Douglas had not had an opportunity to speak personally about the decision.
Dubie, who said he might also consider running for the congressional seat that Sanders plans to vacate, suggested he might be willing to get into a primary against Tarrant. "There may be a one versus one. There may be a one versus two," Dubie said.
Tarrant said the governor's decision means the race is wide open. "Now that the governor has made the decision, the playing field is wide open," he said. "I plan to put a team together and explore this, but probably won't know for sure until sometime this summer."
Tarrant praised Douglas for deciding to remain as governor. "You have to give him credit. The guy is just so committed to the state," he said.
Dubie said he would make his decision based on what his family's wishes were. He declined to say when he would make his decision, but he emphasized that he was busy with his responsibilities at the Statehouse.
"Vermonters elected me and the governor and other members of the House and Senate to do their business," he said. "I'm very mindful we're at a very delicate stage of the Legislature."
By Ross Sneyd, AP Political Writer | April 30, 2005
BURLINGTON, Vt. --Gov. James Douglas opted out of a run for the U.S. Senate, announcing Saturday he will seek re-election next year. Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie immediately said he may jump into the race for the open Senate seat.
Douglas said he had too many unfinished priorities as governor after just a little more than two years in office.
"The speculation that has surrounded this issue, though, 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 overanalyze all decisions and statements that are made," Douglas said in a brief speech at the University of Vermont accompanied by his wife and several top aides.
Dubie also stood along the wall as Douglas spoke and he told reporters afterward that he was considering a run to succeed Sen. James Jeffords, the independent who announced two weeks ago that he would not seek re-election to a fourth term.
"I'm interested. I'm very interested," Dubie said. "But I'm not a candidate."
Douglas had been under strong pressure from prominent Republicans, including those in Washington and the White House, to get into the Senate race against Rep. Bernie Sanders, the independent socialist congressman who already has made clear he will run.
The governor had said he would wait until after the legislative session, which may not come until early June, to announce his decision. He said he speeded up the decision because of the rampant speculation about his motives on such issues as health reform and resolving a Medicaid budget.
"To put an end to the speculation, the parsing and the political jockeying that distracts from achieving these goals, I have decided to announce my intentions now, so that we can all return our attention to the work before us," he said.
Douglas said neither he nor the state Republican Party had sponsored any polls to gauge his chances in a Senate race, although he did not address whether a national GOP group had been making such calls. He said his decision was not influenced by polls, but by his own desire to pursue his agenda at the Statehouse.
His wife, Dorothy, asked what her advice to him was, said only, "I feel that he's done a lot for the state. There's a lot more to be done here instead of in Washington."
Douglas' announcement only will spark another round of speculation, this time about which other prominent Republican may get into the race against Sanders in place of him.
Douglas' staff said the other member of the GOP who has expressed interest in the Senate race, Burlington businessman Richard Tarrant, had been told of his decision. Tarrant, Douglas and Dubie all were at a groundbreaking ceremony and luncheon at the university for a new student center, but the governor's staff said Tarrant and Douglas had not had an opportunity to speak personally about the decision.
Dubie, who said he might also consider running for the congressional seat that Sanders plans to vacate, suggested he might be willing to get into a primary against Tarrant. "There may be a one versus one. There may be a one versus two," Dubie said.
Tarrant said the governor's decision means the race is wide open. "Now that the governor has made the decision, the playing field is wide open," he said. "I plan to put a team together and explore this, but probably won't know for sure until sometime this summer."
Tarrant praised Douglas for deciding to remain as governor. "You have to give him credit. The guy is just so committed to the state," he said.
Dubie said he would make his decision based on what his family's wishes were. He declined to say when he would make his decision, but he emphasized that he was busy with his responsibilities at the Statehouse.
"Vermonters elected me and the governor and other members of the House and Senate to do their business," he said. "I'm very mindful we're at a very delicate stage of the Legislature."