Carper Considers Quitting
I don’t know how I missed this:
Carper hasn’t decided if he will run for re-election in 2018
DOVER — U.S. Sen. Tom Carper, who has held elected office in Delaware continuously for 40 years, has not yet decided whether he will seek a fourth term in the Senate.
A spokeswoman said Monday in an email:
“Sen. Carper is laser-focused on seeing a number of critical priorities across the finish line before the end of this Congress and is also working on his transition into a new role as ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in the next Congress.
“He will make a decision about whether or not he’ll run for re-election in 2018 sometime in the new year.”
Now granted, that is a statement that you could drive a truck through, but the very fact that the State News is asking Carper if he is going to run is telling.
Progressives, start your engines.
If he retires, he no doubt will seek to pave the way for a Third Way D like Jack Markell.
Whether it’s Carper, Markell, Barney, or any other Carper acolyte who steps up, we’ve got to push for someone from the Democratic wing of the Party to run.
As long as Carper is giving it some thought, maybe he could consider resigning in time for Markell, in his last act as governor, to appoint their protege Sean Barney to the suddenly vacant seat.
If Carper decides to retire from the Senate, I expect the frontrunner for his seat to be Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester. At that point, she’ll have two years in the House on her resume to point to in order to make the argument she’s the most ready to move into the Senate, and 2016 already showed she has the ability to completely dominate a Democratic primary.
So the real race will be replacing her in the House.
Well, there’s the little matter of just how LBR performs in the House. Will she be a Third Way Carper stand-in, or will she demonstrate that she’s from something other than the corporate wing of the Party?
I think that odds still favor Carper running again, but this is a little light shining through a crack in the door.
The advantage will go to the candidate that is ready to kick the door open if the door creaks open an 1/8th of an inch more. Similar to how Carper kicked the door in on Roth, or Coons got lucky against Castle. They were ready for the right things to go right.
If Kathy McGuinness were smart (which is questionable), she would re-register as a Republican and run for Congress in 2018. Given the low Democratic turnout in off presidential elections, she could win.
LBR, Eugene Young, Brian Townsend are all people I’d love to see in the mix but this being DE am thinking we’ll get Markell shoved down our throats if he does decide to vacate the position.
I’m thinking that traditionally low D off-year turnout might increase significantly after two years of Donald Trump and total R rule in DC.
If it looks like Carper isn’t running, Ken Simpler will run. I’d lay 8 to 1 on it. If it looks like Carper is running Simpler may still run to build statewide name rec, and/or a possible knock off Carper.
We can’t let Markell get shoved down our throats. We simply MUST challenge the hegemony of the Third Way domination of Delaware Democratic politics.
The Third Way has failed. The repudiation of the Clintons and the so-called ‘moderate’ Senate candidates assembled by the party power structure demonstrate this failure. We can no longer be a party attached at the hip to the most powerful corporate interests in the country.
As liberals, progressives and as true Democrats, we must rebuild the Party so that it stands for what it SHOULD stand for.
Simpler not likely to give up the treasurer seat if a loss for higher office would put him out of a job. Chances are he’s setting his sights on 2020.
The rumor regarding Simpler is he will run for State Treasurer in 2018 and run against Carney in 2020 for Governor. I doubt he would jump in the 2018 Congressional race if Kathy is in the race. They are good friends.
I think, in fact I’m sure, that Simpler has viewed the Treasurer position as nothing more than a stepping stone. If he senses an opening in 2018, he’s gonna go for it.
After all, if someone credible challenges him for Treasurer, he’s no shoo-in for reelection. Better to go big.
If Markell is even a little bit interested he is the prohibitive favorite. A primary would still be in order to frame the debate and get Markell on the record being somewhat progressive in some topics. (…for all the good it did during his primary for governor… but you know what I mean. )
Seriously, where is all this ‘Cathy’ talk coming from? She was buried in the race for LG, she didn’t even win Sussex, and neither party is certain as to her true political affiliation.
To hell with getting him on the record. He’s already on record in that Atlantic piece that he penned.
We have eight years to see that his economic vision does not include improving wages or conditions for workers. His vision DOES include cutting health benefits and keeping taxes unjustifiably low on the wealthy.
His record is clear. He is a Third Way Democrat meaning, IMHO, that he’s no Democrat at all.
Who put the bug in Matt Bittle’s ear at the DSN to call Carper’s office, ask that question, and light this fuse? I would not put it past team Markell.
Kathy has a high opinion of herself and is already running for something while not running.
Actually, El Som, Kathy McGuinness did carry Sussex in the September Primary.
Doesn’t he have Parkinson? If that’s accurate its time for him to retire.
Turns out this may be all about a bunch of praise that was heaped on Biden. Wishful thinking by people trying to think up a next job for Biden.
McG won Sussex by 730 votes and came in third in Kent (behind BHL and Eaby, the Kent candidate). But either way, there’s no reason anyone should be seriously considering her a candidate for anything.
Frankly, given her recent op-ed, I think she’s auditioning for DHSS secretary under Carney: http://delawarestatenews.net/opinion/commentary-big-phrma-wins-people-lose/
Can’t imagine Carney giving her that role, especially since BHL was his preferred choice for LG. Patti Blevins wouldn’t shock me. About as Delaware Way as you can get.
Patti does not want the gig. Correct on Mcg
The most important comment I have heard over the past few days is, “Politics has now become actuarial.” The older generation of Democratic “leaders” will almost literally have to be buried before they lose their grip, because they are so well funded by corporations.
By contrast, batshit crazy as you may think they are, there are lots and lots of young GOPers coming up through the ranks of the State legislatures. They have a bench. Democrats don’t. I love Joe Biden to death, but the idea that he’s going to be the savior in 2020 is an expression of desperation, nothing more. We’re starting to look like the Kremlin or the Vatican here.
Did I miss something? “We”? Did Prof leave the Libertarians?
If Carper goes, Matt Denn will go for it! Time to move up…
@Sussex Anon–“we” is people who oppose Trump. I have not abandoned Libertarian ideas, but I believe the threat he represents to the country is too big to worry about a party identification.
I think Matt Denn would make a great Senator but I think Markell would clear the field if he wanted it. He has the money, the name recognition and he won’t have to vacate an office to run. I don’t see who the GOP could run. Simpler is the obvious choice I guess but he doesn’t have the name recognition necessary I think.
Markell would have those advantages. But teachers hate him, state employees hate him, and plenty of Democrats WOULD hate him once confronted with his record of screwing traditional Democrats.
We simply can’t sit back and allow the Third Way to run this state.