Editor’s note: This commentary is by John “Josh” Fitzhugh, who is chair of the Washington County Republican committee. He has no desire to run for any of these statewide offices but wants to be a member of an organization that has people who do.
[A]lthough it resulted from a bizarre sequence of events, Brooke Paige’s withdrawal as the GOP candidate in five statewide offices gives the Republican State Committee this Wednesday a unique opportunity to redefine the party if — and it’s a huge if — candidates are willing to come forward and stand for election.
Time is incredibly short. Vermonters will begin voting by absentee ballot in a month’s time. Election Day is in a little over two months. How does this affect candidate selection?
To me it means the party should look to those who have held statewide office before; to those who have run statewide before; to those of unquestioned ability who are known statewide and share Republican values; and finally to those who are interested and determined but little known.
Of course finding people to fit the first three categories above will not be easy. None have surfaced to date so why should one expect any new candidates in the next few days?
Let me give a couple of reasons and/or incentives:
First this will be a very short campaign. The candidates will not be expected to raise or spend much money. Candidates will succeed or fail largely on their pre-existing reputations and to an extent the reputation of the Vermont Republican Party. The public might actually welcome this different, shorter, more English-style election.
Second, no one will expect the new candidates to win and thus there should be no disparagement or embarrassment to one who loses, sort of like a quarterback who is asked to come in at halftime when the team is already down by three touchdowns. “What the heck … I’ll give it my best shot!”
Third, the reputation of the Vermont Republican Party is at stake. Mr. Paige engaged in his nomination scheme because he felt the party should have nominees for all statewide offices. He’s right. As a major party we should and this Wednesday we have another chance to do so.
Fourth, the process also now provides an opportunity to define the party as well, should candidates surface. Typically in a primary, candidates compete and the voters decide who they’d prefer as nominee for their party. In this case the party will decide itself. A “HUGE” difference, as our socialist U.S. senator would say. How nice it would be if the party got a full ticket of outstanding leaders who were willing to step up for both the GOP and for Vermont! We have some great candidates for governor and lieutenant governor in Phil Scott and Don Turner; let’s do more.
Now given the short time frame, qualifying candidates for Wednesday’s meeting will itself be tricky. The GOP has only until this Friday to notify the secretary of
state of new candidates. Candidates themselves must file consents and, for the first time, financial disclosure forms. If the party is organized it will seek those forms from potential candidates before Wednesday’s meeting, though there may not be time to do so.
To my mind, Vermont Republicans who fit into any of the four categories listed above should ask themselves four questions:
• One, if elected will I be willing to serve in that position?
• Two, am I willing to complete and file the financial disclosure form the state now requires? (I assume this becomes public though I may be wrong.) The form is online at the secretary of state’s website.
• Third, am I willing to devote some time in the next two months to an abbreviated campaign?
• Fourth, am I willing to help the Vermont Republican Party?
If the answer to those four questions is yes, please get in touch with a member of the Republican State Committee IMMEDIATELY! The sooner good people begin to help others will follow.
