(Host) Senator Jim Jeffords says he believes the Democrats have a good opportunity to take back control of the U.S. Senate this fall. And Jeffords says he’ll actively campaign and raise money to help the Democrats achieve this goal.
It was just over three years ago that Jeffords left the Republican Party to become an Independent member of the U.S. Senate.
Speaking Tuesday night on VPR’s Switchboard program, Jeffords said recent polls indicate that Democratic Senate candidates are doing well in a number of key states:
(Jeffords) “So I’m going to be doing fundraisers and I have to raise money for the election of new members to the Senate, hopefully Democrats. And we’re doing very well at that right now and I think in just about every race that we’re involved in we are in the lead. So we stand right now, if the election was tomorrow, to take the Senate over quite nicely.”
(Host) Jeffords says he’ll campaign only for incumbent Democratic senators and candidates who are seeking election to an open seat:
(Jeffords) “I am not going to actively campaign against my old friends, the Republicans, but to try and make sure that, in those open seats and all, that I can do everything I can to raise money and also to stimulate people to understand what’s going on and why they should vote for Democrats.”
(Host) Jeffords says he also plans to actively campaign on behalf of the Democratic presidential ticket of John Kerry and John Edwards this fall.