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In a statement released released earlier today by the Michigan Democratic Party, Debbie Dingell, longtime party activist and wife of Congressman John Dingell, said she will not seek the Senate seat being vacated by Carl Levin in 2014 because she does not want to create a divisive Democratic primary election.
Here is the statement:
I
hadn’t planned to spend much time this year thinking about running for the
Senate. I’d planned to spend my time working hard to reelect Carl Levin, as
well as good Democrats up and down the ticket, including, needless to say, John
Dingell.
hadn’t planned to spend much time this year thinking about running for the
Senate. I’d planned to spend my time working hard to reelect Carl Levin, as
well as good Democrats up and down the ticket, including, needless to say, John
Dingell.
When
Carl Levin announced he would not seek reelection, those plans changed. Close
friends, complete strangers, political allies and business colleagues encouraged
me to take a long, hard look at running for the Senate myself – and that’s what
I have done.
Carl Levin announced he would not seek reelection, those plans changed. Close
friends, complete strangers, political allies and business colleagues encouraged
me to take a long, hard look at running for the Senate myself – and that’s what
I have done.
I
love my state, and the people who make up the fabric of our communities. I’ve
lived here my whole life, my roots are here; I am a Michigan girl born and
bred……and I can tell you this: we can work through these tough times to a much
better future. We don’t back down, we don’t quit, and we don’t give up, no
matter how many times we get knocked down. Standing up for our communities and
for our families is how I define the job of representing Michigan in Washington,
and it’s a job I know I would be honored to have. It’s also no secret that I
think we need more women in the Senate and in the House, and there was an
attraction to potentially being the junior member of an All-Debbie Senate
delegation.
love my state, and the people who make up the fabric of our communities. I’ve
lived here my whole life, my roots are here; I am a Michigan girl born and
bred……and I can tell you this: we can work through these tough times to a much
better future. We don’t back down, we don’t quit, and we don’t give up, no
matter how many times we get knocked down. Standing up for our communities and
for our families is how I define the job of representing Michigan in Washington,
and it’s a job I know I would be honored to have. It’s also no secret that I
think we need more women in the Senate and in the House, and there was an
attraction to potentially being the junior member of an All-Debbie Senate
delegation.
But
I think it is critical that Democrats unite behind one candidate for what will
be a difficult and expensive race, and it’s one of the reasons I have concluded
that now is not the time for me to run for the United States Senate. We have
good candidates like Gary Peters considering running, and a primary would be
divisive at a time that cries out for unity. As someone who has spent much of
my career working to bring people together, it just didn’t feel right to take
this step now. There may be a time when elective office is the right choice for
me, but this was not it.
I think it is critical that Democrats unite behind one candidate for what will
be a difficult and expensive race, and it’s one of the reasons I have concluded
that now is not the time for me to run for the United States Senate. We have
good candidates like Gary Peters considering running, and a primary would be
divisive at a time that cries out for unity. As someone who has spent much of
my career working to bring people together, it just didn’t feel right to take
this step now. There may be a time when elective office is the right choice for
me, but this was not it.
I
want to thank everyone for the encouragement, for the support, and for the
friendship that I’ve experienced during this brief, but intense time. I look
forward to working with all of you, side by side, to elect Democrats in 2014.
want to thank everyone for the encouragement, for the support, and for the
friendship that I’ve experienced during this brief, but intense time. I look
forward to working with all of you, side by side, to elect Democrats in 2014.
