So you think politics takes a breather after Nov. 4th? It all depends on where you sit. For many, it’s just the start of a new cycle.
The truth is, it never ends. If Barack Obama wins the White House, Hillary Clinton and others turn to career plan B for the next eight years and Republicans start jockeying for position to challenge him in four years. If John McCain wins, the opposite is true with a strong dose of “I told you so” coming from the Clinton camp.
In Connecticut, the political world is in a state of suspended animation until the results come in. More than most years, the outcome of this election is crucial to a whole group of potential candidates on both sides who are waiting for an opening and a chance to move up.
This is particularly true on the Democratic side because there is a real possibility the U.S. Senate seats held by Chris Dodd and Joe Lieberman could be left vacant if either one is given an appointment in the new administration. If that happens, it could mark the biggest shift in the political leadership of the state since the departure of Lowell Weicker Jr. — from the Senate in 1988 and the governor’s office in 1994.
Future Runs
There is no shortage of ambitious candidates in either major party, but ask any one of them, or their supporters, what their next move is and none can answer the question until Nov. 5. The two major barriers to advancement for many would be constitutional officers, governors and senators are Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and Gov. M Jodi Rell — in that order.
A year ago, it was reported with authority that 2010 would be the year Blumenthal finally gave up his safe position as attorney general to run for governor. But things have changed since then and the current thinking is Blumenthal would gladly pass on a run for governor — a job he doesn’t really want — for a chance to run for the job he does want in the U.S. Senate.
Such a move would provide an opportunity for several Democrats to run for governor, attorney general and secretary of the state. Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy and out-going House Speaker Jim Amann would be the first in for governor. Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz and former state Senator George Jepsen might run for attorney general. Others would run for the Bysiewicz seat to position themselves for something bigger.
Vying For Vacancies
A move by Blumenthal might also activate the Republican side because a campaign for an open seat — using public financing — is a fairer fight. If Dodd or Lieberman leave the Senate early, Gov. Rell would almost certainly pick a Republican to fill the position on an interim basis, setting off another series of events.
Many Republicans assume Governor Rell will run for another term if her approval ratings stay high, but she was quoted in a recent New York Times article as saying a lot depends on the outcome of this year’s election. She might not want to spend another six years battling Democrats if they hold a super majority in the legislature.
Lt. Governor Michael Fedele would be an early front-runner for the Republican nomination for governor by virtue of the real estate he currently occupies. There are others, though, with their eyes on the job. Out of loyalty to Rell they are keeping their plans quiet for now.
For the politically ambitious in both parties, this is a frustrating time. The horses are in the gates and they want to run, but nothing can begin until the current race ends.
Dean Pagani is a former gubernatorial advisor. He is V.P. of Public Affairs for Cashman and Katz Integrated Communications in Glastonbury.
