State Auditor Tom Salmon announced to his 3539 friends on Facebook last night that he won’t seek reelection in 2012 — less than two months after he was sworn into a third term.
“I have enjoyed my service to the state but will not seek re-election as state auditor,” Salmon wrote around 9 p.m. “It has been an honor to serve with such a talented team at the SAO (State Auditor’s Office). Thank you all.”
What’s next for Salmon? He’s not sure: Possibly a run for U.S. Senate, or dropping out of politics entirely and seeking a degree in mediation and conflict resolution.
“I will work where I can make a difference. We have transformed the auditors office and I am very proud of the staff and the work . Politics may not be the future,” wrote Salmon in an email to Seven Days.
In response to his Facebook post, several of his supporters are urging him to run for governor in 2012 against Democrat Peter Shumlin. His father, Thomas Salmon, was elected governor as a Democrat in 1972.
Salmon, first elected as a Democrat in 2006, switched parties in 2009 and became a Republican. He won reelection last fall against Doug Hoffer, a Democrat/Progressive.
For almost a year Salmon has mulled a run against U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT. Earlier this year he said he would announce his decision to run against Sanders by March 5.
Salmon told Seven Days via email the move is, “definately a step for transparency.” He said while the move help align him politically to run against Sanders, it could also end up being a “step out” not a step up.
“We have to evaluate very hard as a family at this stage. Members of the Progressive Party and other anonymous parties inflicted a fair amount of pain on the entire clan last year,” said Salmon.
Salmon is referring to the efforts of John Franco, a Burlington attorney and longtime Progressive and close ally of Sanders, who successfully sued to have a videotape of Salmon’s 2009 DUI stop made public. It was released just days before the November election. Franco was also a supporter of Salmon’s challenger, Doug Hoffer.
Salmon believes Sanders could have done more to thwart Franco’s efforts, and told him so in a letter the day after he won reelection last fall. He said Franco’s release of the DUI tape “helped contribute to one of the most negative campaign seasons of recent history.”
“As the highest ranking Progressive in the State of Vermont, it is incumbent upon you to answer whether you were aware of” Franco’s request, Salmon wrote to Sanders in a November 3 letter. “Was he acting on behalf of you? Could you please clarify your relationship with him because it has been reported to me that the two of you have a strong history and continue regular lunches and meetings.”
Sanders failed to respond to Salmon’s letter.
This article appears in Feb 16-22, 2011.
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So, let me get this straight. DWI – bad, but not that bad, really. Public official being held up to the light – awful.Glad to see we have our priorities straight here.
“Hello, pot, I’m kettle.”Guess you weren’t ready for the weekend after all. Where, exactly, did I ask you to prove an opinion?
BB, if it will help you get through the day, I offer my mea culpa, my numbers were off by 2.5%. Salmon only won by 160% of the margin predicted by the VPR poll. Hopefully this will put an end to your run of comments demanding that I prove what was clearly an opinion.
One more thing: “keep screeching for me to prove an opinion.” Hello, pot, I’m kettle.
This has been fun, but it’s time to start the weekend. Cheers, everyone! Remember, don’t drink and drive 🙂
I pointed out Jimmy’s inaccurate data and he responded with a defensive retort calling me a Hoffer devotee. I think this proves once and for all that he really is human and not Watson!And I voted for Salmon as I have each year he’s run because I had no problems with the job he had done, and I think most everyone deserves a second chance … even those who do stupid drunk, scumbag things.
Well thank God John Franco taught Salmon’s kids a lesson, because that’s certainly his job.”How can Franco’s involvement be blamed for Hoffer’s loss?”Why didn’t you ask Totten that around election time? But you go ahead, keep screeching for me to prove an opinion. You really are a Hoffer devotee, aren’t you?
Jimmy: You are right. If video of a crime is available (which, in this day and age, is increasingly the case), the public should be free to view it. If video is not available, you are due whatever tongue-lashing you receive.And JCARTER, I agree. The past is the past. In the 2010 election, Salmon had to answer for what had happened to him since the previous election. Just like Shumlin had to answer for his shady encounter with the traffic law. If Bernie gets a speeding ticket before the next election, he should have to answer for that during the next election. What’s fair is fair.
Jimmy, according to the official election results, Hoffer lost by 6.5 percentage points, not 9. Hoffer – 105,081 (45.5%)Salmon – 120,237 (52.0%)Total votes – 231,221That’s 2.5% points more than the polls predicted, which is well within the poll’s 4% margin of error. Again, if Salmon was in the lead all along and the results were what the polls predicted, how can Franco’s involvement be blamed for Hoffer’s loss?And I submit that seeing your dad in cuffs might be exactly what the children needed to teach them a lesson. But again, it’s Salmon’s fault he was in the cuffs in the first place.
BB, I remind you that not so long ago the legal limit was .1%However, regardless he was over the legal limit, took his punishment and accepted it. He didn’t try and fight it, or plea it down. It was a lapse in judgement, everyone has them. With that said, I hardly think that 0.086% BAC constitutes someone so drunk that they are a scumbag drunk. Drinking in Driving ain’t cool, but let’s not make this out to be a BAC of .3% with a car full of toddlers. The past is the past, as long as it you aren’t repeating it, it isn’t that relevant. I’m sure Bernie has gotten a speeding ticket or something at some point, do we need to drag it out every election cycle and put it up for display….or course not. If Salmon were to get another DUI that would be an issue. As it shows he isn’t learning.