The Vermont Press Bureau has a statement from Vermont Auditor Tom Salmon that reads in part :
I have decided not to run for the office of state auditor this November.
I have achieved the goal set when I took office in January 2007 to transform the Vermont State Auditor’s Office into a first-rate performance auditing shop. It is time for me to move on to new challenges.
I have a number of options presented to me, and some still out there, in God’s hands. It is most likely I will land in federal service in the IG or CFO communities as my passion continues to be improving government performance and better federal-state-local intergovernmental collaboration. I have an offer from a CPA firm as well.
Doug Hoffer who would have been Tom Salmon’s likely opponent wished him well and said in a statement:
I wish Mr. Salmon well.
I'm running for State Auditor regardless of the opponent. I'm going to tell voters about my qualifications, my experience, and my plans for the job. I have begun meeting with Democrats and Progressives around the state and I look forward to the campaign.
according to VPR.
He’s flirted with just about every position but short-stop this year.
via WCAX News, here and vtdigger Facebook page post (which provided Salmon’s press release), here.
(had been working on a quick post of my own, but prior to posting checked the main page just in case and found this one)
we can only mourn the loss of material.
Tom Salmon is Vermont’s answer to Sarah Palin, apparently. This should mark the end of his political career; I remember just a couple months ago, Jack Lindley was singing Salmon’s praises as a hard-nosed, embezzlement-fightin’ auditor. And now Salmon swims downstream. The VTGOP has to be feeling just a bit screwed-over. For all his obvious flaws — such as not really wanting to do the job of Auditor — he was their second biggest statewide vote-getter, and now they’ve got a big hole on their ticket, which was already loaded with no-hopers.
On the other hand, Salmon might decide at some point to run for State Senate. He could form a dynamite unintentional-comedy team with Peter Galbraith.
Doug’s the greatest. When Franco offers to help, I hope he’ll say “Sure, stuff these envelopes”.