Shumlin announces gubernatorial run

BENNINGTON -- Windham County state Sen. Peter Shumlin formally announced his gubernatorial bid Monday, becoming the fifth Democrat to join the 2010 race.

Shumlin, 53, who serves as the president pro tem in the Senate, had been hinting for months that he would launch a gubernatorial bid, delivering campaign-style stump speeches at various events. His announcement delivered at a green energy company in Williston Monday made it official.

"I’m running because I believe I have the vision and experience to create jobs in Vermont, and I’ve proven that I can get tough things done," Shumlin said in a telephone interview Monday.

Crowded field

The field of Democratic candidates is crowded. Democrats struggled to find a candidate two years ago before former House Speaker Gaye Symington announced her candidacy about six months before the election. This time, the Democratic Party’s strongest candidates have jumped into the race early, hoping to succeed Republican Gov. James Douglas, who shocked the state’s political world in August by announcing he would not seek a fifth term.

Former Windsor County state senator and lieutenant governor candidate Matt Dunne announced his candidacy earlier this month. State Senator and former Lt. Gov. Doug Racine, D-Chittenden, state Sen. Susan Bartlett, D-Lamoille, and Secretary of State Deborah Markowitz have all been campaigning for months.

"All four of the other candidates are friends of mine and they’d all make good governors," Shumlin said. "The reason that I’m running for governor is that I believe that my experience -- having grown up in Vermont, built successful businesses here and served 10 years as president of the Senate -- gives me the skills that will be necessary to create jobs and make this state prosperous again."

Democratic candidates will not succeed by tearing each other down, according to Shumlin. "I think any Democrat that speaks ill of another Democrat in this race will and should lose," he said.

Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie is the only candidate so far on the GOP side, and it is unlikely Dubie will face a primary challenge. He became the presumptive Republican standardbearer after Douglas declined to seek a fifth term.

Shumlin said Vermont is well-positioned to benefit from a transition from fossil fuels to alternative energy sources. The pending transition will create an economic expansion that will overshadow the industrial revolution and the technology boom, he said.

A strong proponent of renewable energy, Shumlin has also been a vocal critic of Vermont Yankee, the state’s nuclear power plant. Energy will be just one component of the campaign, however.

"The central theme of my campaign is going to be creating jobs. I want more Vermonters to be able to have the same opportunities that I’ve been blessed with," he said.

Along with his brother, Shumlin operates Putney Student Travel, a business started by his parents. Shumlin said he wants to ensure that all Vermonters have the same opportunities he had.

"I went off to college and wanted nothing more then to come back and live in Vermont and make money to support a family. I did that," he said. "I think I have the skills to ensure that as governor I can help to create an economy where more Vermonters can have that same kind of good fortune -- a good job with a good future."

Vermont must seize control of its finances for that to materialize, Shumlin said. State government has "over promised and under performed" over the past eight years, he said.

Reconvene in January

The state Legislature will reconvene in January. Shumlin said his duties as the leader of the Senate will be his first priority until the end of the session. There are many difficult decisions to be made, including finding ways to close an $80 million budget gap. Taxes cannot be raised, Shumlin said.

"I’m going to do the best job that I know how to do as Senate president and I will make tough decisions. If it costs me some votes, so be it, but I’m going to do the job that I was elected to do first," he said.

Middlebury attorney Beth Robinson, who led the coalition that successfully sought a same-sex marriage bill in Vermont, attended Shumlin’s announcement Monday, vouching for his ability to accomplish difficult tasks.

Shumlin said overseeing the passage of the state’s same-sex marriage law, making Vermont the first state to approve gay marriage through the legislative process, was just one of many accomplishments he is proud of.

"There’s been many fine hours. I’ve been there a long time," he said.

Three of the five Democratic senators are experienced Democrats in the Senate. Shumlin said a shuffling of seats in the Legislature is good for the state.

"New blood in the Legislature is a good thing. We need more new, fresh ideas, so I think it will be a positive thing," he said.

Members of the Legislature are not yet taking sides. Sen. Dick Sears, D-Bennington, said he considers all five to be friends, and is not yet willing to make a public endorsement.

"I hope that they can whittle the field some. I have a deep respect for all of them. I’ve either served with them or worked on various campaigns," Sears said. "I think that every one of them has the character and ability to be a good governor. I think with a field so large you run the risk of alienating members of the Democratic base. That’s what I’m really concerned about."

Shumlin said he expects the candidate that prevails in the 2010 race will need to raise at least $1 million. Despite joining the campaign later than others, Shumlin said he believes he can raise the necessary money to fund a viable campaign.

Veteran Vermont politico Kate O’Connor has been tapped to head Shumlin’s campaign. O’Connor served as former Gov. Howard Dean’s campaign manager and also worked on his 2004 bid for the presidency.

"My friend Howard Dean told me that she did it for him five times," Shumlin said.

O’Connor also worked on a U.S. Senate campaign for Republican Rich Tarrant, who lost in 2006 to U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

Contact Neal P. Goswami at ngoswami@benningtonbanner.com