Two former lieutenant governors say they are thinking seriously about asking voters to give them their old job back.
David Zuckerman, a Progressive/Democrat who served in the post from 2017 to 2021, said Friday he’s “more likely than not” to throw his hat in the ring for the open position. Doug Racine, a Democrat who held the post from 1997 to 2003, similarly said he is “moving more in that direction than not.”
Incumbent Lt. Gov. Molly Gray, a Democrat, is preparing to depart the post after just two years to vie for Vermont’s sole congressional seat, and the race to replace her is growing by the week.
In the Democratic primary, state Rep. Charlie Kimbell of Woodstock has declared his candidacy, as has Patricia Preston, a political newcomer and director of the nonprofit Vermont Council on World Affairs. Another Democrat, former state Rep. Kitty Toll of Danville, who chaired the powerful House Appropriations Committee, is also eyeing the race but has not made any definitive announcements.
On the GOP side, state Sen. Joe Benning, R-Caledonia, is the only declared candidate thus far.
A Hinesburg farmer, Zuckerman has been involved in state politics since the late ’90s, serving in the House for seven terms and the Senate for two. Known for championing marijuana legalization, the state’s GMO-labeling law and a tax on the wealthy, he first won the lieutenant governorship in 2016 with an endorsement from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
Zuckerman left the post in 2020 to run for governor and easily won the Democratic primary. But he lost in a landslide in the general election to Republican Gov. Phil Scott, who enjoyed sky-high approval ratings for his early handling of the pandemic.
Zuckerman told VTDigger in December he was in no hurry to jump back into politics. But just a month later, that’s changed.
“A number of people have reached out to me and encouraged me,” he said. “I’ve then reached out to other folks in all corners of the state, trying to gauge if there’s interest, and there does seem to be quite a bit of interest and excitement.”
Racine has held varied roles in state politics over the course of 30 years. He served a total of seven terms in the Vermont Senate, leading the chamber as the Senate president pro tempore for two of them.
He was the Democratic nominee for governor in 2002, but lost to Jim Douglas, a Republican, and he ran again for the state’s top job in 2010, losing out to Peter Shumlin in the Democratic primary.
Racine said he thinks Scott and Legislature are doing a good job addressing housing and climate change. But he argues he could put his background to use helping the state tackle growing problems in its health care and human services sectors.
“Our health care reform project, I think, is failing. It’s expensive and is not producing promising results. Our mental health system is still in a crisis. And I think the focus should be on community services and school services to help,” he said.
The lieutenant governor has few responsibilities or powers. But Racine argues he was able to use the post to build consensus and help pass major legislation, including the state’s landmark education reform law, Act 60, as well as civil unions.
“The media, folks who are running for the office, others who are just observers — I think undersell the potential of the job,” he said. “I think that’s wrong.”
Racine last held public office at the state level in 2014, when he was ousted by Shumlin, then serving as governor, from his role as secretary of the Agency of Human Services, the state’s largest.
Zuckerman said he’ll make a decision and announcement sometime in the next few weeks. Racine, for his part, said his timeline is murkier.
“It’s still very early and I’m waiting to see how the race develops and see who else might be interested in getting into it — see if I see a path for me,” he said. “I think I do. I think a lot of people still know who I am.”