Former state Sen. Peter Galbraith said Wednesday he is seriously considering running for the top job, but said he’s also concerned that if he announces now, the campaign will last too long.
“I’m leaning strongly toward doing it,” Galbraith told VTDigger.
The former two-term Windham County senator criticized the current field of five – three Democrats and two Republicans – and said there was room and time for him to join the race. Galbraith said his campaign would focus on economic development, economic justice and campaign finance reform.
The 64-year-old former U.S. ambassador to Croatia said if he runs, he would not begin campaigning until next year “when people are paying attention,” but he also said an announcement might come sooner because candidate forums are already underway.
“I don’t think Vermont is well-served by a 15-month campaign for a 24-month long job,” said Galbraith, who has been doing diplomatic work in the Middle East since he left office, including in Syria.
Already running are three Democrats — House Speaker Shap Smith, former Transportation Secretary Sue Minter and former Sen. Matt Dunne — and two Republicans — Lt. Gov. Phil Scott and former Wall Street executive Bruce Lisman.
Galbraith, a senator from 2011 to 2015, had a reputation for being outspoken in the Senate and some colleagues complained the former diplomat lacked people skills.
“A great deal of why people thought I was a maverick in the Senate was because I didn’t always go along with the perceived wisdom, the conventional wisdom,” Galbraith said. “It’s really easy to have good sandbox skills if you just go along. If you raise issues, if you force people to vote on uncomfortable things like campaign finance, it’s not going to make you terrific in the sandbox.”
Political analyst Eric Davis said Galbraith would have an uphill battle entering the race after the other candidates have started lining up donors. Davis also said Galbraith, who lives in Townshend, had limited name recognition outside Windham County and “his reputation as a maverick would hurt him” in being viewed as a serious candidate and not someone “simply trying to send a message.”
Galbraith also flirted with but decided against a run for governor in 2008. In 2010, Galbraith won a Senate seat in a year that saw five candidates run in the Democratic primary for governor, which Gov. Peter Shumlin won.
If he runs, Galbraith said he would make campaign finance reform a cornerstone of his campaign and that he would not accept corporate or political action committee donations.
Galbraith was the lead proponent of a bill that resulted in a ban on hydraulic fracking in Vermont. He also strongly supported a single-payer health care system and a ban on some large-scale wind projects.
He described his politics as “progressive and pragmatic” and said he would support a $15 per hour minimum wage as part of a campaign. The only reason it isn’t higher, Galbraith said, was because of social programs that “subsidize places like Wal-Mart.”
“I don’t hear that kind of boldness, that kind of straightforwardness, from the other candidates,” Galbraith said.
Galbraith, the son of famed economist John Kenneth Galbraith, also strongly criticized the use of state funds to keep companies in Vermont. He said the money would be better used preserving the state’s economic health and environmental beauty.
“People do business in the state of Vermont because it’s a great place to live,” and not because they receive tax subsidies, Galbraith said. He pointed to quality of life and strong communities, schools and public services as incentives for companies to locate to Vermont.
Galbraith said he would have likely voted against Act 46, an education bill passed last year that is designed to encourage school consolidation.
