Winnebago County Executive Mark Harris sounds like a guy who wants to run for the Democratic Party nomination for governor in 2014.
Harris has been meeting with progressive Democratic groups, making the rounds on political talk shows and telling anyone who asks that he’ll make his decision by Labor Day.
But in an interview with the Journal Sentinel on Monday he stepped closer to entering the race when he said: “I think I’m going to throw my hat in the ring and see where it goes from there.”
Harris, who doesn’t yet have much statewide name recognition, would enter as a decided underdog for the party’s nomination, let alone in a 2014 general election run against Republican incumbent Gov. Scott Walker.
“The real decision is whether I’m making a contribution toward removing Scott Walker from another turn or not,” Harris said in a telephone interview. “I’m in a situation where I cannot raise money toward a governor’s race until I file the paperwork and announce my intent. It’s difficult to test the waters in advance.”
While I understand Mary Burke may be the preferred candidate of many within the Democratic establishment in Wisconsin, I don’t think a Democratic gubernatorial primary would be a bad thing, because I think Wisconsin’s Democrats shouldn’t be force-fed a candidate they don’t know much about (and who may have some red flags on issues like education).
After all, the last time the Democratic establishment force-fed a gubernatorial candidate on Democrats, Tom Barrett got trounced twice by Gov. Scott Walker. Granted, another Democrat may not have fared any better against Walker, but we’ll never know, will we?
H/T to Wisconsin Soapbox.
I’m not being cynical when I ask why Mary Burke is the “preferred Democratic candidate for Wisconsin Governor” in 2014 and not Kathleen Vinehout? Somebody Please explain this to me? Any one who visits kathleenvinehout.org or researches this consistent and honorable Wisconsin Senator would have to agree that, despite a failed run in the Walker recall of 2012, she would make an ideal governor for the state.
Vinehout has impressed me with many of her well thought out and researched opinions but not so much her public speaking and campaign trail skills. If she decides to run, and I hope she does, she needs to hone those skills for a debate with our sleazebag Governor but I’d back her over Burke any day.
I’d have a hard time supporting a Democratic gubernatorial candidate who voted for the Castle Doctrine and concealed carry and who has a 50% rating from NARAL.
Exactly how I feel about free trade agreements and market based student loan rate profiteering or lax enforcement of bank regulations.