(HOST) Governor, Jim Douglas, says he won’t be pressured by national Republican Party officials to run for the U.S. Senate next year if Douglas doesn’t believe it’s the right thing for him to do.
A number of GOP officials contacted Douglas and encouraged him to run immediately after senator Jim Jeffords announced last week that he would not be seeking re-election in 2006.
Speaking last night on VPR’s Switchboard program, Douglas said he wants to finish the Legislative session before he seriously considers his future plans and he says there will be one key factor affecting his decision:
(Douglas) “I think the most important question is: Where can I best serve the people of Vermont for whom I’ve served for many years and with whom I have a great relationship for, whom I have tremendous affection and affinity? I want to do what I can to further the goal of improving the quality of life for the people of our stat. And where I can best do that really is the deciding criterion.”
(HOST) Douglas says he plans to make up his own mind about entering the Senate race and he won’t be pressured into a decision by President Bush or GOP officials.
(Douglas) “Well, the president is a good friend and he knows me well enough to know that I’ll make up my own mind and make my own decision and do what’s right for the people of my state.”
(HOST) Douglas is expected to make a decision about his future political plans during the summer.