Mulling a gubernatorial comeback, Howard Dean outlines a potential campaign message

In his first public remarks on why he might seek a return to the state’s top office, former Gov. Howard Dean said Wednesday he was “deeply alarmed by the coming fiscal crisis in Vermont” and “dismayed … by the current poisonous atmosphere in Montpelier.”

The Burlington Democrat shared those views in an email to reporters days after WCAX broke the news that he was considering challenging Republican Gov. Phil Scott in this fall’s elections. Dean subsequently confirmed his interest in the race to VTDigger, but he has otherwise declined to elaborate on his thinking.

Asked for an interview Wednesday after he emailed reporters, Dean replied to VTDigger in a text message, “Thanks for asking but not doing interviews until I file.”

A physician by training, Dean served as governor of Vermont from 1991 to 2003, before running unsuccessfully for president and leading the Democratic National Committee. Though he has not run for state office in more than two decades, Dean pointed to highlights of his gubernatorial tenure in his email Wednesday — including a budget deal he cut with a Republican House speaker and his work to provide health insurance to children.

“I believe Vermont is in real danger of losing much we have fought for and much of what we have accomplished, in the atmosphere of anger and disrespect which permeates Montpelier,” Dean wrote. “And I believe we can do better together.”

Known as a fiscal hawk during his time in office — he referred to himself as being “on the more frugal side of budget negotiations” — Dean nodded to Burlington’s $13 million budget deficit in his email to reporters.

“Unfortunately, I think we can expect similar fiscal turmoil over the next few years for the State of Vermont,” he wrote. “The percentage will be lower but the numbers will be staggering.”

He pointed specifically to the many school district budgets that have been voted down this year — some two or even three times — amid projections of double-digit property tax hikes.

“We must not make the mistake which has led to so much fiscal pain in the past. We must NOT finance today’s programs by borrowing from tomorrow’s Vermonters,” Dean wrote. “It took us a number of years to regain our excellent Bond rating after doing that three decades ago, and we should not do it again! And I don’t believe the solution is to get rid of local control over school districts.”

Dean provided a mixed assessment of his potential general election opponent, who has not yet said whether he’ll seek a fifth term in office. On the one hand, Dean said he was “deeply grateful to Governor Scott for leading Vermont through a truly serious crisis when the COVID Pandemic struck,” adding that the incumbent “did so with grace, common sense, and a devotion to science,” comparing him favorably to former President Donald Trump.

“I am dismayed, however, by the current poisonous atmosphere in Montpelier,” Dean continued. “I had my battles in Montpelier over money, but we always worked out our differences and the budgets were solid, thoughtful and mostly negotiated respectfully between the Governor’s office and the House and Senate.”

He decried “the fighting and the disrespectful relationship between the Legislature and the Governor’s office,” and said that important issues, such as affordable health care, had “fallen by the wayside” in the Statehouse.

Scott, too, has bemoaned the “toxic atmosphere” in the Statehouse this year. At an unrelated press conference Wednesday afternoon, Scott was asked if the dynamics between his administration and the Legislature’s Democratic supermajority make him more or less likely to seek another two years in office.

“In some respects, some of what we’ve experienced over the last couple of weeks would lead me to jump back in, because I think that we can do better,” Scott replied.

Asked Wednesday afternoon about Dean’s apparent interest in challenging him, Scott called the rumor “interesting” but said he hadn’t heard the news from Dean himself.

“I will tell you this — and you can take this one to the bank: 24 years from now, I will not be on the ballot,” Scott said.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Mulling a gubernatorial comeback, Howard Dean outlines a potential campaign message .