Jeffords Won't Seek Re-Election

The Associated Press is reporting that Vermont Senator James Jeffords won't seek re-election.

Jeffords was elected as a Republican to the U.S. House in 1974 and to the U.S. Senate in 1988. Jeffords abandonment of the Republicans in 2001 gave Democrats control of the Senate.

According to the Associated Press, Jeffords will make the announcement Wednesday afternoon in Burlington, three sources close to the senator said.

Harry Reid and company may miss Jeffords, the Republicans certainly won't.

UPDATE: According to this Associated Press report in the Boston Globe, Jeffords' decision will unleash a host of candidates to replace him:

U.S. Rep. Bernie Sanders, the only independent in the House, has said he would run if Jeffords did not, while Republicans Richard Tarrant, a business executive, and Gov. James Douglas are also possible contenders.

Former Gov. Howard Dean, now the chair of the Democratic National Committee, had long been rumored as a possible candidate, but Karen Finney, a top aide to Dean, said the former Vermont governor will not be running for the Senate because he's committed to his new duties at the DNC.

UPDATE: Jeffords offered these reasons for his decision not to seek re-election:

My wife Liz has put up with a lot over the years, and it is long past time I spent more time with her. Liz, as you know, is battling cancer, and will soon have to undergo another round of chemotherapy. If you know her you know that cancer has probably met its match.

I look forward to seeing a lot more of my children and their families. And in a few weeks, I look forward to greeting our first grandchild into the family.

There have been questions about my health, and that is a factor as well.

You can read Jeffords' entire statement as published by Champlain's WPTZ NewsChannel 5 here.

At Wizbang, Kevin Aylward reminds us that "Turncoat" Jeffords recently succumbed to conspiracy theories.

At The LLama Butchers, Steve posts "Republicans probably don't have a chance of picking up this seat."

At Scared Monkeys, Red posts that Bernie Sanders, Vermont's lone congressman, will likely run for Jefford’s Senate seat. Red links to this Burlington Free Press article which gives some idea of what we can expect from a Senator Sanders.

Comments

[Red]

CA Yankee

Before I escaped over the wall from the Socialist Republic of Vt I was born & bread in the State of VT. I have seen it change from a solid Republican stronghold to what can only be called to day as the USSR. People like Dean, a transplant from NYC, have moved and taken over the state. Of course its pretty easy when there are barely over 600K people.

Jeffords will leave who only benefited Tom Daschle & the Dem Party. His traitorous switch never benefited the people of VT. He only got used and then discarded by the Dem's. One really has to wonder the insanity and wrong judgment of Jeffords who switches to a party who then became the minority. No one likes a traitor and one can never be trusted by any side.

Sanders will be the next Senator from VT which is a crying shame. However, it will act as a national Republican catalyst as it just shows how out of touch the Dem Party really is. having a socialist in their ranks.