The Senate majority leader has thrown his support behind Sen. Tim Ashe to be the next Senate President Pro Tempore.
Sen. Philip Baruth, D-Chittenden, had been considering running for the top Senate job himself but said Friday he would support Ashe, a Democrat/Progressive, also from Chittenden County.
Sen. John Campbell, the current pro tem, is not seeking re-election in November.
“I think we’ll be charting new waters in several different ways, and we need someone able to look at the range of issues (with the budget in particular) in a new way. Tim brings a unique, overarching view of the legislative process to the table, and I think he’s precisely the right match in this particular moment,” Baruth said.
Ashe is chair of the Senate Finance Committee.
Sen. Claire Ayer, D-Addison, and Sen. Ann Cummings, D-Washington, have also expressed interest in running for the pro tem position.
Baruth said he might consider seeking the post another day.
“You always hope your time is now, but I’m fully convinced this time belongs to Tim — hopefully I can give the job another look another day,” Baruth said.