VT - Douglas Retiring in 2010

[Lunar]

http://www.politico.com/blogs/scorecard/0809/Vermont_governor_Jim_Douglas_retiring.html

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Dubie v. Racine?

[JohnnyLongtorso]

Dubie is apparently an absentee Lt. Governor, which is pretty impressive considering how few responsibilities the office entails.

[Holmes]

Good riddance.

[Lief 🗽]

Cool. Should be an easy Democratic pickup, though, as resident Vermont expert DWDL knows, the Vermont Communist Party has a good shot at the seat.

[Meeker]

Hopefully Pollina doesn't run again and screw our chances.

[Badger]

Hopefully Pollina doesn't run again and screw our chances.

I generally have the same opinion of liberal third party candidates who accomplish nothing but handing elections to conservatives, but in fairness it's hard to carry that argument against Polina when he actually finished ahead of the Democratic nominee (albeit barely).

Edit: Reviewing further, Pollina's campaign received the endorsement of the AFL-CIO, the State Employees Association, and the Vermont NEA. Also endorsed by his old boss, Bernie Sanders plus the mayor of Burlington (Vermont's largest city).

With an eternal facepalm to Nader supporters who said something similar after the 2000 election, maybe the Democrats shouldn't run and screw up Pollina's chances. ;-)

[Lief 🗽]

Also, if no one gets a majority in Vermont, the legislature (which is controlled by the Democrats) gets to decide, so a Progressive Party candidate wouldn't really be a spoiler.

[Meeker]

Also, if no one gets a majority in Vermont, the legislature (which is controlled by the Democrats) gets to decide, so a Progressive Party candidate wouldn't really be a spoiler.

Didn't we think the same thing in 2002?

[pogo stick]

Solid-D pick up.

[Holmes]

I think maybe it's still a little too premature to say that.

[Ronnie]

Yeah, I mean they voted for Douglas, why not Dubie?

Sucks that you have to reach 50%, though.

[© tweed]

effectively legal marijuana next decade with the right Gov?

[JohnnyLongtorso]

Dubie doesn't have Douglas' history in the state (he was Secretary of State from 1980 to 1992 and Treasurer from 1994 to 2002), and is more conservative. He's held the Lt. Governor office mostly because the office has pretty much no actual duties.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Who is the current favorite (if there is one) to win the Democratic primary? 

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Dubie doesn't have Douglas' history in the state (he was Secretary of State from 1980 to 1992 and Treasurer from 1994 to 2002), and is more conservative. He's held the Lt. Governor office mostly because the office has pretty much no actual duties.

But he has, as a Republican, held it.  And on a separate ballot from Douglas.  That's pretty noteworthy—he's the only independently elected Lt. Governor in New England.

In any case, he may have some competition for the nomination from a familiar GOP name:

"Mark Snelling, son of the late Gov. Richard Snelling and former Lt. Gov. Barbara Snelling and brother of Sen. Diane Snelling, R-Chittenden... said he's considering a run for either governor or lieutenant governor."

He's going to make his decision to run independently of what Dubie decides. Could be interesting.

[JohnnyLongtorso]

Word in Vermont is that State Auditor Thomas Salmon, whose father was a Democratic governor for two terms in the 70s, is switching parties (D to R) and running for Governor if Dubie doesn't.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Word in Vermont is that State Auditor Thomas Salmon, whose father was a Democratic governor for two terms in the 70s, is switching parties (D to R) and running for Governor if Dubie doesn't.

I heard Salmon was considering running (as a democrat) for Lt. Governor.

[JohnnyLongtorso]

The Burlington Free-Press posits that he will run for re-election or for Governor:

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20090905/NEWS03/90905005

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Of course, if the Dems take over the Gov and Lt. Gov offices and Salmon wins re-election, that means he becomes the kingpin of the Vermont Republican Party, for whatever that's worth.

[Meeker]

Seems like an odd strategy to switch to being a Republican in Vermont, but I guess there is some logic to it.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Seems like an odd strategy to switch to being a Republican in Vermont, but I guess there is some logic to it.

Yeah well one would say the same thing about NYC, but it worked for Bloomberg. This guy's reasoning is probably exactly the same.

[Meeker]

Seems like an odd strategy to switch to being a Republican in Vermont, but I guess there is some logic to it.

Yeah well one would say the same thing about NYC, but it worked for Bloomberg. This guy's reasoning is probably exactly the same.

I don't think this guy has the name recognition or $$$ that Bloomberg had when he ran for mayor, but I get your point.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Also, if no one gets a majority in Vermont, the legislature (which is controlled by the Democrats) gets to decide, so a Progressive Party candidate wouldn't really be a spoiler.

Didn't we think the same thing in 2002?

Racine withdrew himself and conceded. Has he not, he'd be probably Governor today.

[JohnnyLongtorso]

Dubie is apparently running:

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20091001/NEWS03/91001006&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

[ChrisJG777]

he's the only independently elected Lt. Governor in New England.

What about the Lt. Governor of Rhode Island?