The surprise announcement from Vermont's Republican-turned-Independent Sen. James Jeffords that he will not seek re-election in '06 has given Republicans a key opportunity to increase their 55-seat majority in the Senate.
Within an hour of the announced exit of Jeffords--a three-term senator whose change of parties in '01 briefly gave Democrats a majority in the Senate--the office of Republican Gov. Jim Douglas in Montpelier was deluged with calls urging him to run for the open Senate seat. A press spokesman for Douglas confirmed to us that a bid for the Senate was "the nature of the calls" the governor had been receiving and "dozens of calls" have come in. National Chairman Ken Mehlman and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Elizabeth Dole (R.-N.C.) were among those trying to reach Douglas, who was attending a Republican Governors Association meeting, said Press Secretary Jason Gibbs.
The complete article by John Gizzi can be read at Human Events Online.
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