Howard Dean won’t run for Vermont governor

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (D) dashed speculation about another gubernatorial run Monday, deciding against a bid to challenge Republican Gov. Phil Scott. 

“In theory, this is a winnable race. But I’ve been in state and national politics for a very long time, and there’s only one way to close a 10-point gap between two well-known candidates, and that’s to run a scorched-earth, negative attack campaign, like ones being run all over the country,” Dean said at a press conference, shared by WCAX.

Dean knocked Texas and Florida, where, he argued, “creating enemies out of women, gay people and even librarians seems to be acceptable” to candidates and voters. 

“I don’t know if a campaign like that could get me elected, but I do know that it would be really harmful to our state and to our values. I am not a candidate for the office of governor,” Dean said, adding that he would support the party’s candidate — though a clear pick has yet to emerge.

The only declared Democrat in the race thus far is Esther Charlestin, a Middlebury educator, according to WPTZ.

Dean, who served as Vermont’s governor for 12 years before departing for an unsuccessful presidential bid in the 2004 cycle, had reportedly been considering a run to return to the governor’s mansion.

Scott is running for reelection to a fifth term as a Republican leader of the largely blue state. Scott had backed former presidential candidate Nikki Haley in the GOP primary race earlier this year, and she went on to score a surprise upset against former President Trump in the state, the only to spurn Trump on Super Tuesday.