Matthew Dunne

Lt. Governor Brian Dubie has decided to seek re-election to a fourth term, according to a source familiar with his campaign. Dubie and Gov. James Douglas are the only Republicans to hold statewide office in Vermont.

Dubie, 48, has not publicly announced his intentions, and there had been some speculation among political insiders that his push to become the Federal Aviation Administrator last summer was a signal of his desire to leave electoral politics.

There is considerable speculation among Democratic insiders about a possible deal discussed by former State Senator Matthew Dunne and progressive leader Anthony Pollina to broker a continued working truce for the ’08 cycle. Similar to the agreement between Peter Welch and Bernard Sanders in 2006, Dunne would get a clean shot at a rematch with Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie with no major Progressive candidate in the race. In return, Pollina would be able to take on the Republican Governor Jim Douglas without major Democratic interference.

The proposed 2008 deal, Democratic sources explain, came swiftly to an end when Senate President Pro-Tempore Peter Shumlin, refused to support a Dunne/Pollina accord. Sources say that Shumlin, who gave up his Senate seat to run against Dubie in 2002 (he lost, 41%-32%, with 25% for Pollina) and returned to the Senate in 2006, is not especially fond of the mega-ambitious Dunne, and has used his party clout to put a stop to any so-called deal.