Want the scoop on hot races around the country? Get the digest emailed to you each weekday morning. Sign up here. Leading Off: ' RI-Gov: Lincoln Chafee, the only independent governor in the nation, is once again saying he may seek re-election as a Democrat. This isn't the first time he's discussed the possibility'indeed, he began publicly talking about it just months after taking office in 2010. But now Chafee, who endorsed Obama in 2008 and 2012, and spoke at this year's Democratic convention, is getting closer to the point where he'll have to make a decision. Notes Chafee: "There is no independent governors association throwing money around ... but there is a Democratic Governors Association." And indeed, outgoing DGA chair Martin O'Malley has previously made overtures to Chafee about a switch.
But while DGA money could help in a general election if Republicans manage to be competitive, running the gauntlet of a Democratic primary could bring its own host of problems for Chafee. Some Dems will undoubtedly be open to him joining the party, but others won't be, perhaps in part because he served in the U.S. Senate as a Republican as recently as six years ago. That said, Chafee has certainly marched far leftward (he even said, in the AP's words, that he "felt welcome" at the DNC), but putting aside ideology, one or more ambitious Democrats might still look to dethrone him in the primary. And I'd be surprised if the DGA would want to prop him up for the nomination, though perhaps that could be part of a party-switching deal.
No comments:
Post a Comment