Colby says he's close to making a gubernatorial run

Progressive Michael Colby confirmed today that he is close to entering the race for governor in a conversation with PolitickerVT.com

“I look forward to launching the campaign in the very near future,” he said.

Colby, a Worcester writer and horse logger, said that an official announcement in Montpelier in the next several weeks was being planned. He also said that he was taking a look at the financial and strategic details necessary to launch a campaign and was also beginning to assemble a campaign team.

Colby said that he was prepared to run a campaign that emphasized progressive values.

“Vermonters are ready to dream with me about a third party populist campaign,” he said.

Colby’s stated interest in the race comes less than one week after Progressive Anthony Pollina formally launched his campaign for governor. Should he enter the race, Colby would face off against Pollina in a September primary.

Colby did not attempt to hide his criticisms of Pollina, accusing the activist of failing to stand up for the progressive causes he claims to uphold and charging that Pollina was politically ineffective.

He pointed to Pollina’s outreach efforts to state Democrats, saying they amounted to “backroom deals”.

“Why don’t (the Republicans, Democrats, and Progressives) get together to decide who is going to control the State House and governorship?” he said.

He also pointed to Pollina’s prior defeats in races for governor and lieutenant governor and said that Pollina was headed for another defeat at the polls.

“I think he’s proven himself to be a very effective loser,” Colby said.

“In a lot of ways he’s been a roadblock to progressive politics because he’s lost at every opportunity,” he added.

Colby conceded that Pollina had won the support of the Progressive state party committee, but he argued that Vermonters had an independent streak would not take the word of the party heads.

“Vermonters are not wedded to political labels like party elites are,” he said.

Pollina is the sole challenger to incumbent Republican Governor Jim Douglas. Democrat Peter Galbraith, an author and diplomat, has expressed an interest in the race but has not made a formal decision to jump in.

Colby said Galbraith would “be a great asset to the campaign,” but that he would do better in Montpelier.

“I think I would be a better governor,” Colby said.

Colby did not say how much a primary against Pollina would cost, but insisted that he could raise the necessary funds to run the campaign.