(cross-posted to Vermont Watch, here)
Over on 7Days Staff blog Blurt (here), Paul Heintz reports about how Vermont Progressive Party Chair Martha Abbott is going through the motions of challenging Governor Peter Shumlin, apparently …
… for three reasons: One of their statewide candidates has to win five percent of the vote for the party to retain major party status; they want to keep candidates from other parties from hijacking the nomination; and, most importantly, they want to push Shumlin to the left.
Understood. Nothing new or different from them, as we’ve seen this all before.
However, not that this is anything new or different from them either for that matter, Heintz quotes Martha Abbott as having said (paragraph three):
[…] “But I’m not saying I’m going to stay in the race. I’m not saying I’m not going to stay in the race.”
Huh!? (scratch head here)
Then, when neither or otherwise nothing is being said along these lines (and other than having made the announcement in the process of possibly running for a given political office), unless and until one knows for sure what they will be doing at some future moment and point pertaining to whether they will remain in the race or not, why bother saying anything at all?
They need to collect their 5% somewhere, in some statewide election, every time out. They’re obviously not going to oppose Doug Hoffer for Auditor of Accounts so they need to give their supporters someone to vote for and a reason to vote for them.
Note: I don’t begrudge them this.
Anyway, the recent WCAX survey results make it easier for them. The Progs wisely didn’t run a candidate for gov in 2010, which helped contribute to Peter Shumlin’s victory. This year WCAX has 60% of voters saying they favor Shumlin’s reelection, which means the Progs can safely run a candidate for the top spot.
Martha Abbott needed to say something because she needs to circulate petitions and file for the office by June 14th in order to be on the primary ballot.
They don’t need a gubernatorial candidate on the ballot to get 5% – there is every reason to believe that Martha Abbott will do what she did in 2010 – file and win the nomination in order to prevent a nuisance candidate from claiming the ballot line, and then withdrawing after the primary.
Especially if the Dems don’t file a serious candidate for Lt Governor, the 5% will be guaranteed. Majorie Powers has already announced for the Progs, so that seems like the race they can use to keep party status.
Don Schramm has also filed for Treasurer – although with the heated race between Beth Pearce and Wendy Wilton, he’s likely to get squeezed out there.
They’ll also probably have an AG nominee to go up against whoever wins the Sorrell/Donovan show-down.
Not sure if they’ve got anyone going for Secretary of State, but since no Republican has come forth yet for that slot, the Progs would also easily get 5% in that race.