Vermont Gov. Douglas (R)
Vermont Governor Jim Douglas, a Republican, announced today that he will not be seeking re-election for the post. The announcement comes as a bit of a surprise and will shake up things in Vermont, where the legislature overrode his veto of the state’s marriage equality bill that passed earlier this year. As he told one of the state’s paper prior to the legislature’s initial vote for the bill:
“I don’t support it. I really believe the civil union law we have now is sufficient,” Douglas said during a meeting of The Times-Argus editorial board. “I don’t see the need to have … a divisive debate about this topic.”
According to the AP report, Douglas was in good spirits and — unlike former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin — plans to stay in office to complete his elected term. Also unlike Palin, Douglas said:
“I know there will be some speculation as to what is next, so I want to lay a few questions to rest immediately: I am not running for president. (Wife) Dorothy has a divorce lawyer on speed dial if I ever utter that crazy idea,” he said.
According to the Examiner:
Three Democrats have announced their candidacy for the 2010 governor race: Deborah Markowitz, Doug Racine and Susan Bartlett. Racine was the Democratic nominee for Governor in 2002 and served as lieutenant governor when he lost to Douglas. Markowitz has served as Vermont’s secretary of state since 1998. Serving on the Vermont State Senate, Bartlett announced her candidacy on June 4, 2009.
As even current Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie said today, though, “The Governor’s announcement today changes the political landscape in Vermont.”
Among the folks for whom I would think this changes the political landscape is longtime Attorney General Bill Sorrell, a Democrat. Although he certainly seems to love the job, which he has held since he was appointed to it in 1997, I’d wonder if Douglas’s announcement would do anything to change his plans.
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Chris Geidner is the senior political writer at D.C.'s Metro Weekly and has written for The Atlantic Online, Advocate.com, Salon and other publications, as well as at his blog, Law Dork. Prior to moving to D.C. in 2009, he served as an attorney on the senior staff at the Ohio Attorney General's Office and had earlier worked for a leading Columbus law firm. An extended biography can be found