Vermont’s election season is taking shape, and it could mean big changes in the Statehouse. There had been speculation for at least a week that Vermont Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman was planning to run for governor. This morning, he was in Montpelier to formally announce his plans. He tells WAMC North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley that after 20 years of service, it’s time for him to take the next step.
“I am running for governor of the state of Vermont. After two decades of public service including the last three years as lieutenant governor, which have been a great honor to serve, I’ve been hearing from thousands of wonderful people from all corners of the state with diverse backgrounds and opinions. The issues they’re raising and the challenges we face are critically important and we need a new governor to move that vision forward in Vermont.”
Zuckerman’s decision is creating a ripple of other campaign announcements. Activist and 2018 gubernatorial candidate Brenda Siegel, a Democrat, says she will run for lieutenant governor. On Friday, Vermont Senate Pro Tem Democrat Tim Ashe said if Zuckerman ran for governor, he would run for lieutenant governor. “It’s a position that I would enjoy bringing the skills that I’ve developed here in the Senate to the statewide platform so I can focus exclusively on the issues that I care most about and help shape policy that way.”
Zuckerman will face former Vermont Education Secretary Rebecca Holcombe in a Democratic primary. Republican Phil Scott is serving his second term as governor.
