(Host) Vermont State Auditor Tom Salmon says he’s met his goals for the office and will not run again. But the Republican is contemplating a campaign against Senator Bernie Sanders next year.
(Salmon) "I feel in many ways my work is done here. I’m somebody who tends to be involved in areas such as teaching, and I’ve worked in non profits, and I’ve worked in accounting. And when it’s time to move on to bigger challenge no one blames me."
(Host) Salmon – who is 47 – first won as a Democrat in 2006. He switched parties in 2009 and won re-election in November with 52 percent of the vote.
Salmon says he’ll decide next month whether to challenge Sanders. He says his politics and personal history make him a candidate who could surprise Sanders.
(Salmon) "I’m not one of those hard right Republicans that people – or like Mr. Sanders would like to paint me as. And that’s going to be very difficult if I run against him. You’re going to have somebody with a community action, social service background that was once a pay grade 19 at the Department of Labor, who taught school for 10 years, who served in the military and cares more about people than they do about their paycheck – or even their political future. I am not attached to where it goes."
(Host) Salmon said he’s proud of the work he’s done in the auditor’s office, including shifting the focus to performance audits that look at the effectiveness of government programs.