Howard eyes run for lt. gov.
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By Louis Porter VERMONT PRESS BUREAU - Published: November 19, 2009
MONTPELIER — The Democrats' lack of a declared candidate for the office of lieutenant governor continues, but there are several possible contenders for the nomination.
The latest is Rep. Steve Howard, a Rutland City Democrat, who said Wednesday he may enter the race.
"I have been encouraged to consider it," Howard said in response to questions. "I am actively considering it, but I haven't come to any conclusion about whether I will do it."
Howard, who is on the House Ways and Means Committee, has been in the Legislature for a dozen years over two different stretches and two House districts. In his first stint in the Statehouse he represented Rutland Town.
The lieutenant governor's post, second to the governor, could be a place from which to organize and rally citizens, Howard said.
"It would be a different role than what we have had in the recent past in that office," he said. "If Vermont is going to tackle some of the mounting issues it faces, one of the things I think we really need to do is include and electrify and organize average, ordinary citizens who don't have lobbyists."
Howard's committee is a powerful one because it deals with taxes and fees. But the job of lieutenant governor, despite that fact that the person who holds it rarely votes, is an appealing one, he said.
Howard is not the only Vermonter considering a run for the spot as a Democrat.
Democratic Sen. Virginia Lyons, of Chittenden County, is eyeing the race, as is Tom Costello, who ran against Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie last election.
Rep. David Zuckerman, a Progressive, is also considering running as a Democrat.
Lyons, the head of the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee, said she is still deciding what to do.
"I am still in the process, I am still thinking about it," she said.
The chance to run for the open seat — Dubie is running instead to replace Gov. James Douglas — is an appealing one. But, with many members of the Senate considering running for higher office, she is not sure what to do, Lyons said.
"I am very concerned about what might happen to the Senate during the next election go-around, particularly in Chittenden County. I think it is important to have some continuity," Lyons said. "On the other hand, there is also an opportunity here. That's where I am and I think I will be there for a little while."
There are several declared or potential candidates for the job on the Republican side, including Mark Snelling and Sen. Phil Scott.
For his part, Howard said he is not sure whether there will be a Democratic primary for the lieutenant governor nomination.
"There is a lot of energy and focus on the gubernatorial race right now," he said. "I am not in any rush to make a decision. Hopefully by the spring I will have a clearer idea, but it could be sooner."
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