Said Vance, “There is not enough time in the day to satisfy the desire and dedication I have to improve the lives of families in Waterbury and across the Fifth Congressional District. ... With so much work still to be done, it is not the right time for me to look to another elected position, I am ending my congressional campaign so that I can continue to help turn around Waterbury at this critical time in the city’s history.”
“I have enjoyed meeting with people throughout the 5th Congressional District and have been energized by the support that I have been given, but mostly I am blessed to have become friends with many very caring people who are concerned about the direction of our country,” said Vance.
“While Sen. Christopher Murphy and I may have disagreed over issues,” said Vance, “we both agree that we need a change in the direction of this Country and in the Fifth District of Connecticut. I will endorse and work for the Democratic nominee, and have released my committed convention delegates asking that we all come together to support the nominee.” (Paul Vance Press Release 2/21/2006)
Just who that nominee will be has become a bit murkier with rumors about Bill Curry possibly entering the race, but at this point all signs are atill pointing to Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Cheshire), who was early on the favorite of national Democrats and built a huge lead in fundraising over Vance.
No matter who the nominee is, the 5th District race is expected to generate national attention, and could end up being closer than it has in years.
As for Vance, he remains popular in his hometown of Waterbury (he was the top vote-getter in the aldermanic races in November), so it's likely we'll see him again.
Source
Paul Vance Press Release. "Vance Withdraws From Fifth District Congressional Campaign." 21 February, 2006.
36 comments:
Just heard Paul on the radio. He was very classy and gracious. Waterbury should be proud.
I think this is good news for all Democrats -- getting unified NOW is the only way we wil beat Nancy Johnson! Kudos to Vance for graciously pulling out of the race and offering his support to Murphy.
Murphy should invite Vance to his lunch on Wendsday and have him at the Head Table.
Chance of Murphy beating Johnson = 0%
Change of Murphy winning if Johnson retires in 2008 or 2010 = Not Bad
Gonna be a status quo election this year gang. No major changes...people are happy with the whole slate of Rs and Ds in office right now.
Moderate Republican:
1. People are happy with the status quo??? Have you read the polls? Maybe for STATE elected officials people are content, but I don't think many people are happy with the way the country is being run these days.
2. If you are really a moderate, you should look closely at the voting records of Simmons, Johnson and Shays -- all CLAIM to be moderates, but they are right there on the spot when the radical right-wingers they elected to leadership positions need their votes.
3. Chances of Dick Blumenthal losing: 0%
Chances of John Larson losing: 0%
Chances of Republicans taking control of the State Legislature: 0%
Beating Nancy Johnson, Rob Simmons AND Chris Shays in one election: priceless
Correction...he "didn't offer his support to Murphy." He said he encouraged his delegates to support the Democratic nominee, which has yet to be decided. I think it's time to sprinkle a little Curry on this race.
wow, why did he do his press release so late at night? Or am I missing something? Was it on the news tonight? I guess maybe it will be in the newspapres tomorrow?
Cheers to vance for making the right decision and putting the needs of fifth district voters before his political ego. Let's hope curry does the same.
Vance's announcement came late this afternoon, FWIW.
Thank God that's over.
The rumors re: Curry are absolutely ridiculous. Stop wasting your time. I'm not even going to start on Fred Lucas and the News-Times for publishing that crap.
Chris Murphy is going to Congress.
Game on.
Actually, he released it this afternoon, anonymous. I'm running a bit behind (long day).
jandtheargonauts,
An interesting idea. He certainly seems popular enough there. He's also a pretty young guy.
democratx,
Party unification hasn't always worked well for Democrats in the past. Primary races at least generate press and interest, although they can be a money drain.
Party unification, sure, Mark Davis says Lamont is ready to announce
All the oxygen is gonna get sucked into that race. Hope the House candidates have their own tank
What does Bill Curry do for a living? And where can I find that book he was writing about Clinton a few years back?
As rare as it is for me to agree with ‘moderate’ Democrats, I have to agree with mod.dem.like.jfk. Paul Vance is a classy guy. He’s got a good head on his shoulders and will go far in politics. It is great to see a good politician like Vance come out of Waterbury. I look forward to seeing more of him in the future.
Perhaps it is time to offer Vance the Lieutenant Governor post on the ticket with JDS or DM?
Gotta start building the next generation of political leaders...
You can offer Vance,Sullivan, Jepsen,Curry or any other Democrat the Lt.Governor post. The problem of course, they have zero shot of winning so it is just a worthless exercise. They may as well all run as green party candidates for Governor. At least they can say they ran for the top spot.
Yes, I agree time to get Curry in there. From what I hear, the poll he took shows a lot of weakness for Murphy's liberal positions and the fact that he just moved into the district a few months ago. I have heard from a number of people in-the-know that Curry is just waiting for the right opportunity to announce.
Anon 953 -
While I certainly agree that any pair would have no shot I strongly disagree that it is a worthless exercise.
Fact is there will still be a campaign and with campaigns come exposure. Should anyone have a desire to seek office, exposure is key so Vance getting the nod for Lt. Gov. would most certainly help in his exposure.
If the Dems are smart, they will tab someone who fits this mold, not a has-been with no future of higher office such as Sullivan, Jepsen or Curry.
it's refreshing to see a guy like vance who realizes that running, and holding, office is about public service, not personal ambition.
So no one knows what Curry does for a living? No one?!!
Don't you think he might need to reveal that if he is going to run for office?
Any furthur rumors out there as to who Rell picks for her running mate? I think that'll be the biggest news of the campaign.
Rowland will still be under house arrest by convention time so we can rule him out but Patty is one possibility - it's all about the poetry!
The JI is reporting that Curry has stated he is OUT of CD5, but not ruling any other race out. See it here
Ping Pong Bill Curry has a hot dog cart by the Bushnell Park and at night he sweeps the floors at Waldbaums
He doesn't say he's getting paid for it... just that he's writing it.. which means he's doing nothing.
The JI article also answers PingPong's question on what Curry is doing for a living latley.
Unless he pre-sold the screenplay, he ain't making any $$ writing. A screenplay explains what he's doing with his time, not how he's paying his bills. (Maybe Alibozek slipped him some bars! ;) ).
i hope its a musical that Bill's writing. do you think there will be open auditions for parts?
I'm sure Colin McEnroe will get the lead.. ironically as JGR.
He's writing a screenplay? Why should I believe that? It appears that he lied about that book he was supposedly writing.
Looking to get the huge Italian vote here in CT, Jodi picks Rob Russo from Bridgeport for L.G.
Thanks for visiting the blog Rob...
Vance was seen in New Haven having lunch with JDS last Saturday, perhaps an announcement in the near future?
By keep his hat in the ring for so long, Vance managed to raise his profile with a very positive result. A well-played move.
Vance: More to come from this guy for sure.
Curry: Could not win.
Murphy: Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Second place.
I saw Vance campaign in New Caanan this summer, everyone that meets him-- thinks he is great. I hope this is not the end of the road for his political ambitions.
Heard Murphy on WTIC 1080, sounds like he is going to be playing the "Bush is bad, vote for me" card-- he did not mention Vance
Vance probably ran the best campaign- by letting someone else take the loss.
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