Two members of the House Democratic leadership says they’re interested in running for speaker should Rep. Mitzi Johnson’s recount effort fall short.
Rep. Sarah Copeland Hanzas of Bradford said she will “likely” run for the post if Johnson fails in her recount bid.
“I support Speaker Johnson in seeking a recount of her election,” Copeland Hanzas wrote in an emailed statement Friday morning, referring to Johnson’s current 18-vote deficit.
“If, after the recount, we need to elect a new Speaker of the House, I will likely step forward to run for Speaker,” she wrote.
After 18 years in the Statehouse, Johnson, D-South Hero, lost her reelection campaign to Republican Michael Morgan, the nephew of incumbent Leland Morgan, who won reelection.
Copeland Hanzas is the chair of the influential Government Operations Committee and has formerly served as the Democratic majority leader. She ran against Johnson and Rep. Chip Conquest, D-Wells River, for House speaker in 2016, but withdrew when it became clear that Johnson would win. Conquest did not run for reelection this year.
House Majority Leader Jill Krowinski of Burlington also said she is interested in running for speaker following Copeland Hanzas’ announcement.
On Thursday, Krowinski declined to comment to VTDigger about whether she was interested in running.
“I hesitate to put this even out there because it is really critical to me that we’re doing everything we can to support the speaker through her recount,” Krowinski told VTDigger on Friday.
She didn’t want to comment on the prospect of Copeland Hanzas’ throwing her hat into the speaker’s race. Krowinski said she feels she has the necessary experience leading the House alongside Johnson — particularly through a pandemic — to continue to do so as speaker herself.
“I think that my skillset and experience in working with the speaker and getting us to this place where we can work together and legislate in a safe environment,” Krowinski said, “will help us build back from this and create resilience in all communities across the state.”
This story was updated to include Rep. Jill Krowinski’s interest in a possible run for the speakership.