All Signs Point to Symington

Speaker of the House, Rep. Gaye Symington (D) announced Saturday that she will not be seeking reelection, thus opening the door for a much anticipated gubernatorial run this fall. Symington is expected to join Anthony Polina (P) in the race to unseat Republican Jim Douglas.

Symington, who has served the last two years as Speaker of the House, first took her seat in the legislature in 1996, and quickly gained the respect of her peers, being named to the House Ways and Means committee in her first term.

That’s the same committee responsible for drafting ACT 60; then Governor Howard Dean’s, controversial education finance bill, which nearly ousted the popular Governor in the late 1990’s.

Symington told the Burlington Free Press, "I am considering running for governor, but my focus is on the Legislature… This came up in response to a lot of people asking me to run and because I hear such a hunger in Vermont for wanting a sense of vision for where we're going."

With Symington more than likely joining the race, the contest for Governor will be a three way race, making it difficult for either candidate to collect 50% of the vote, in which case the State Legislature would decide the out come of the governor’s race.

The absence of an announced candidate has left many in the Democratic Party confused and concerned with the party’s strategy for what will ultimately be a very, hard row to hoe for whom ever the candidate is.

Townshend resident, and democrat Peter Galbraith has been mulling over a possible run at the Governors office since early this year. The former Ambassador to Croatia says a campaign is not off the table, but will not pose a primary threat to Symington if, more likely when, she chooses to run.

"I'm still considering it," he told The Burlington Free Press, “I'm 100 percent confident there will be no primary between Gaye Symington and Peter Galbraith."

Many speculate that, if the election is indeed thrown to the legislature, the Democrat dominated House and Senate could over look the general election returns and support the Democratic candidate.

One thing is for sure.

Over the last 4 years; the tale of the political tape most certainly goes to Gov. Douglas, who has stood up against an opposition government with his veto stamp, and held firm in his agenda of affordability.  Douglas, up against a veto-proofed house, has attracted moderate democrats to stand with him against their own party on many issues.

Three times in the last two sessions, a veto override has come down to one vote, and all three times that vote has been cast in favor of the Governor’s decision, by a democrat.

With Symington all but announced, she will look to become the second female governor in the State’s history, after Gov. Madeleine M. Kunin (1985-1991). Symington also served as Vermont’s second female speaker of the house, following in the footsteps of Republican Consuelo Bailey who went on to become the first female Lt. Governor of any state in U.S. History.