Tuesday, May 13
BRATTLEBORO -- His name had been bandied about for months as a possible Democratic candidate for governor of Vermont, but Peter Galbraith of Townshend was hesitant to commit to running.

With outgoing House Speaker Gaye Symington declaring her candidacy on Monday, Galbraith has made it official -- he won't be seeking statewide office in November.

Galbraith, the former ambassador to Croatia in the Clinton administration, said in a phone interview Monday that he is backing Symington.

"I enjoyed the time I spent going around the state and talking to people," said Galbraith. "But there comes a point in public life when you come to the conclusion that you should stick to the things you do best. I never decided I was going to run, so it's hard to make an announcement about something you never decided."

Galbraith's work as a consultant in international hotspots such as Iraq, Iran and Pakistan has taken up much of his time of late. But that doesn't mean he has forgotten about his adopted state.

"I'm pleased to support Gaye and I intend to do whatever I can for her," said Galbraith.

In a press statement he released on Sunday, Galbraith touted Symington's "thoughtful approach to bringing people together and crafting concrete, responsible solutions" and said "she is exactly the leader we need for the difficult economic times we now face."

Galbraith said he had been offering some of his foreign policy

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expertise to the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton, but that he now supports Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination.

"They are both terrific candidates, but I now believe that Barack Obama will be the Democratic nominee," said Galbraith.

Randolph T. Holhut can be reached at rholhut@reformer.com or 802-254-2311, ext. 160.