Man, Chuck Schumer has got to be doing back-flips today. First Mark Warner, and now Jeanne Shaheen:
Former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen will be a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2008, the New Hampshire Union Leader has learned. The Democratic former three-term chief executive is expected to issue a statement today addressing her political plans. While it’s unclear exactly how the statement will be phrased, sources say Shaheen has decided to seek the seat held by Republican John E. Sununu, who defeated her in a bitter 2002 contest.Shaheen, 60, will resign as director of the Harvard University Institute of Politics, a post she has held since April 2005.
It remains to be seen whether Katrina Swett or Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand will drop out of the primary. Med school professor Jay Buckey will stay in no matter what.
UPDATE: Schumer’s statement, via e-mail:
“Jeanne Shaheen will be a great candidate and a great Senator. We are excited that someone who represents the best of New Hampshire and American values is our candidate for the Senate. With Jeanne Shaheen and Mark Warner announcing their candidacies in the last two days, our efforts to increase our majority in the Senate got a tremendous shot in the arm.”
Race Tracker: NH-Sen
Good luck to Governor Shaheen in sending Sununu’s ass back home!
Go Shaheen! And this time, be bold! It’s the only way to win!!!!
Chuck Schumer has to be the greatest DSCC chairman democrats have ever seen!!!
Will definitely drop out. He’s said do, but also he’s a 33 year-old running for US Senate. That means this guy has big-time ambition. Why stay in a Senate primary you will definitely lose, when the other Senator is up in just 2 years.
I hope that Schumer doesn’t suffer from some kind of endorphin overload should Bob Kerry decide to seek Hagel’s seat in NE.
…to being able to tell Holy Joe to take a hike.
Although Doug Lynch would be a prime candidate to go up against Gregg (or for an open seat). He’ll have to make some significant progress on the school funding issue, though.
Still, for Marchand, there’s always NH-01 if Carol-Shea Porter loses it.
http://www.seacoasto…
I think it’d be tough for Steve to win the primary, but I don’t think it’s a sure thing that Shaheen would be a better general election candidate. Steve is charismatic and in tune with the trends in New Hampshire. Governor Shaheen, on the other hand, knows her politics but so rarely excites. I hope that was from her analysis of the political climate in 2002 and she’ll light a fire this time.
“…our efforts to increase our majority in the Senate got a tremendous shot in the arm.”
Political steroids? Sounds like fun.