WILLISTON, Vt.—The election's still almost a year away, but the wide-open Vermont governor's race is heating up with another Democrat in the running.
Calling himself a fiscal conservative, state Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin announced his candidacy Monday, saying he has the know-how to create jobs and make state government live within its means. He said his experience with his family business -- Putney Student Travel -- qualifies him to steer the state through a recession that has wreaked havoc on Vermont, its people and the state's budget.
"What I want is solid, steady jobs and a good quality of life for all Vermonters," he said. "It's that simple."
Shumlin, 53, is the fifth Democrat to declare his candidacy in hopes of succeeding Republican incumbent Gov. Jim Douglas, who is not seeking re-election.
Also seeking the nomination in the Sept. 14 Democratic primary: state senators Susan Bartlett and Doug Racine, Secretary of State Deb Markowitz and former state Sen. Matt Dunne.
Shumlin's announcement came at a news conference at the headquarters of Earth Turbines, Inc., a wind and solar energy manufacturer in Williston, the location aimed at underscoring his commitment to green energy initiatives.
There were other symbols, too: Middlebury lawyer Beth Robinson, who led the fight to get gay marriage recognized in Vermont, endorsed him as a gutsy leader who helped push the issue through the Legislature at a time when many wanted it put off for another session.
Also there to vouch for him was Earth Turbine's CEO, David Blittersdorf, and two former legislative pages who said he's the best gubernatorial candidate for their futures. One of them was Will Kunin, 15, of South Burlington, the grandson of former Gov. Madeleine Kunin.
"Our next governor's going to face the toughest budget challenges in recent memory," said Shumlin. "Over the past eight years, our state has overpromised and underperformed. Promises of job growth didn't materialize. Our expenses far exceed our revenues and our long-term financial obligations outpace Vermonters' ability to pay," he said.
He spoke at length against Vermont Yankee nuclear plant, criticizing its owners for not reaching power purchase agreements with Vermont utilities and failing to adequately fund its eventual mothballing. The plant's license expires in 2012, and it is seeking a 20-year extension.
He estimated the cost of his campaign at $1 million, and said he plans to raise that much. When asked how he could criticize the state's management given that he is one of the top two leaders of Legislature's Democrat-controlled majority, he said: "Governors get things done. I'm one of 180 legislators. Governors can have a vision and implement it."
Hoping to keep the Democrats' intramural squabbling to a minimum, Shumlin said all four Democrats would make good governors and added: "I thing that any one of us that in any way criticizes the other will lose -- and should lose."
Robert Dempsey, the party's executive director, said the party won't endorse a candidate until after the primary. Whether all five will still be in the running by then isn't clear, he said.
"It could be that all five see this thing all the way through, it could be that all five drop out and we have something completely different," said Dempsey. He called the multiple candidacies "a sea change" from 2008, when Democrats struggled to find a candidate against Douglas and didn't field one until about six months before the election.
In that election, Douglas captured 53.4 percent of the vote, compared with 21.8 percent for independent Anthony Pollina and 21.7 percent for Democrat Gaye Symington.
Douglas surprised Vermont's political world in August when he announced he wouldn't seek re-election to a fifth term, saying he'd been in the spotlight long enough.
