Lt. Gov. Phil Scott said Thursday on Vermont Public Radio’s “Vermont Edition” what everybody in Vermont figures must be the case: He’s thinking about running for governor in 2016.
“I’m certainly considering it,” Scott said, adding, “I know I have to make a decision by the end of the year.”
The state’s highest-ranking Republican has been lieutenant governor for four and a half years. He was a state senator for 10 years before that. He’s widely seen as the Vermont Republican Party’s strongest hope for challenging whoever runs for governor next year as a Democrat.
Scott, 56, of Berlin, said his decision will not depend on whether three-term incumbent Democrat Peter Shumlin runs for reelection. “This is a decision I’ll have to make regardless of Gov. Shumlin’s decision,” he said.
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How soon can he start?
While I’ve got no doubt that Scott would be the Republicans’ strongest nominee (by far), running against the headwinds of a high turnout Presidential election year when the Democratic nominee will be winning 60%+ of the state’s vote is a daunting task.
Had he run in 2014, he would have won. But he’d probably be better waiting until the 2018 midterm instead of running in 2016.
(And Phil will need to answer the question of his support for whatever right winger wins the Republican Presidential nomination – and what that says about his political viewpoints and judgement.)
But this race is one where the Democrats (and the entire state of Vermont) would be better off without the incumbent in the race – Shumlin needs to either refrain from running for re-election (or get taken out by a challenger in the primary).