WATERBURY, Vt. (WCAX) – Howard Dean says he will not run for governor of Vermont.
The Democrat made the announcement from Waterbury on Monday morning.
Dean was Vermont’s longest-serving governor and was reportedly considering running again more than two decades after leaving office. But Monday morning, he said he will not enter the race.
Our Calvin Cutler was at the announcement and is gathering more details and reaction. He will have that for you starting on the Channel 3 News at Noon.
Gov. Phil Scott is widely expected to seek a fifth two-year term in office. A national poll recently ranked Scott as the most popular governor in the country. He was reelected in 2022 with 71% of the vote.
But Dean was a popular governor, too. He served from 1991 to 2003, making him the longest-serving governor in Vermont history. He rose to office from lieutenant governor following the death of Richard Snelling. After serving the remainder of Snelling’s term, Dean went on to win five more terms.
In 2004, Dean ran for president. But after a disappointing third-place finish in the Iowa causes, his campaign foundered and John Kerry went on to win the Democratic nomination. But Dean did not disappear from national politics. He remained a regular on primetime TV news shows and in 2005 was elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee.