Cites personal reasons for her decision, which leaves Democrats with no declared candidate
Jan Shepel
Associate Editor
MADISON
The only declared Democratic candidate for governor in next year’s primary dropped out of the race Monday. Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton had enthusiastically declared her intention to run when Gov. Jim Doyle announced he wouldn’t seek another term in August.
She has talked for years about an eventual run for governor, so the announcement to end her campaign stunned political observers and prompted immediate rumors about why she’s quitting.
In a letter to her supporters on Oct. 26, she said her deep commitment to the state is “second only to my deep commitment to my family. For very personal reasons I will not pursue the Democratic nomination for governor in 2010.”
With a short three-paragraph e-mail, Lawton took herself out of the race and closed her office, making herself and her staff unavailable for further comment.
In the wake of her announcement there were rumors that there had been pressure from the White House that favored, as yet undeclared, Democrat Tom Barrett, who is now the mayor of Milwaukee or that Lawton’s health was the culprit. On Tuesday, Oct. 27, in various press appearances, she grew emotional as reporters pushed for more answers.
In interviews with several television and radio reporters, she said the decision to run was reached with her family and the decision to drop out of the race was also reached in consultation with her husband and two adult children. She said her health was not an issue.
She told the Associated Press, in an interview, that she would not run again for lieutenant governor and that any future campaigns were unlikely. She said the White House was not involved in her decision to leave the race and denied claims that her campaign was lagging in fundraising.
Lawton said talk about problems in her marriage being the reason for her abandoning her run had deeply offended her as she and her husband prepare to celebrate 36 years of marriage.
In several broadcast interviews Lawton said that the rumors, some of them nasty, that swirled around her decision to drop out of the race highlighted the pitfalls of running for public office.
Without Lawton in the race the Democrats have no declared candidate. Congressman Ron Kind, who had been seen as a possible candidate, announced Sept. 24 that he would not run for governor, but would continue to serve in the House.
Kind faces a challenge from Wisconsin state Sen. Dan Kapanke, R-La Crosse, in his bid to keep his seat, representing the third congressional district, which covers much of western Wisconsin. Kapanke has served in the Wisconsin Senate since 2004.
There is still speculation on the Democratic side that Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett may choose to run for the party nomination, however Barrett has not yet made any kind of announcement.
Political pundits said this week that with the race wide open they wouldn’t be surprised if a number of Democratic state lawmakers would now consider a run for governor.
On the Republican side, declared candidates include Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker and Nashotah home builder and developer Mark Neumann, who declared his candidacy Sept. 9.
Neumann served in Congress from 1995 to 1999 and lost a bid to unseat incumbent U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold in 1998.
This will be Walker’s second bid for the nomination in a gubernatorial race. He had run in the GOP primary in 2006 when he faced U.S. Rep. Mark Green, who became the party’s candidate when Walker left the primary battle.
