UPDATE at 10:30 a.m. with reaction from Vermont GOP Chairman Rob Roper / Also corrected Mark Snelling’s political intentions. He’s running for lieutenant governor.
UPDATE X 2 at 12:10 p.m. with reaction from Gov. Jim Douglas and former Lt. Gov. Doug Racine, now a state senator and Democratic contender for governor.
UPDATE X 3 at 12:25 p.m. with comments from Judy Bevans, chairwoman of the Vermont Democratic Party.
UPDATE X 4 at 3:25 p.m. with comments from Democratic challengers Secretary of State Deb Markowitz and State Sen. Susan Bartlett (D-Lamoille) and Republican State Auditor Tom Salmon
Republican Lt. Governor Brian Dubie made it official moments ago via email: He will be a candidate for governor in 2010.
Dubie, now serving his fourth term as lite guv, made the announcement just over a month after the current officeholder — Republican Gov. Jim Douglas — announced that he would not seek a fifth term.
An official kickoff will be held at a later date.
Dubie is not expected to have a GOP challenger, unlike on the Democratic side. To date, three Democrats have announced their intentions to run for governor: Secretary of State Deb Markowitz, State Sen. Doug Racine (D-Chittenden) and State Sen. Susan Bartlett (D-Lamoille). Also likely to jump in are former State Sen. Matt Dunne and current Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin.
This article appears in Sep 30 – Oct 6, 2009.
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Shay – you are contradicting yourself – in the lede you say that Dubie is not expected to have a GOP challenger and in the conclusion you say that Mark Snelling is also running for Governor as a Republican. Which is it? Sounds like there’s a challenger to me…
Whoops. Cut out the lieutenant part of that statement. My apologies. Snelling is running for Lt. Governor. Thanks.
What I worry about with Dubie is who will tell him what to do. Unlike some other candidates, he is not someone who actually digs into issues – he will need advisors to manage his positions & policy thinking. Who will they be?
He announced via EMAIL?? I love it. Dubie has been the ‘absentee lieutenant governor’ for years, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that he didn’t even show up in person to announce he’s running for governor. Welcome to “The Candidate Who Wasn’t There” “
More than any politician I know, and I know a few, Brian Dubie thinks with his head and his heart. Liz, I would be less worried about his analytical skills (which are formidable by the way) and more worried about his competition’s tendency to punt to self-serving political expediency. Because he doesn’t.
Even in the current world of spin-laden, intentionally-meaningless politico-speak, I’ve never read such vague and meaningless twaddle as what Judy Bevans spewed out. That “statement” was written by a bad computer program on autopilot.It’s sad that we now are required to pump out a stupid, meaningless, say-nothing statement every single time someone else does or says something.
Twaddle, the same could be said about Rob Roeper’s “statement”.
My question is: What happens to his American Airlines pension if he wins? If he loses it, can I have it?
“Twaddle, the same could be said about Rob Roeper’s “statement”.”Yup. And your point is?
Shay – you talk about “potential” democratic candidates for Lt. Gov, including Ed Flanagan. I’m fairly certain that Flanagan already announced that he is a candidate. Whether the Democrats want him or not, that would make him THE Democratic candidate for Lt. Gov.
Willy: You are correct, Ed Flanagan initially announced his intent to run for lt. governor. After allegations of lewd behavior at the Y surfaced, however, he backed down from being a definite to saying he would decide after the legislative session.
While questioning deb markowitz last year in her support of irv in burlington she showed she did not even know the law of what she was in favor of. a weak candidate in my veiw.
Markowitz vs. Dubie! Pass the popcorn! Most interesting gubernatorial race since what’s her name from Thetford ran against Dean. Before that I’d have to back to Kunin vs. Easton. Remember John Easton? What the hell’s he up to now?