Vermont prosecutor rules out congressional bid

By TED COHEN/PATCH.COM

BURLINGTON, VT -- The top prosecutor in Vermont's largest county has apparently taken herself out of consideration for a congressional seat.

"I am quite happy where I am," Chittenden County State's Attorney Sarah Fair George tweeted.

George, a Democrat, endorsed U.S. Rep. Peter Welch D-VT for a U.S. senate seat now held by Patrick Leahy, a Democrat who is retiring next year.

Welch "is who we need in that seat right now," she said, adding that no one - including Welch - is entitled to any political office.

She said she won't be seeking Welch's job in the lower chamber.

George was a no-name assistant prosecutor until she shocked the political establishment by leapfrogging a senior deputy county prosecutor when the governor of the opposing party appointed her to the county position to succeed T.J. Donovan, who successfully ran for state attorney general.

She is among four women prominently mentioned as possible contenders for Vermont's lone congressional seat.

The state has never sent a woman to Congress.

Gov. Phil Scott, R-VT, appointed George to be the state’s attorney for Chittenden County in January 2017 after her boss was elected attorney general.

George had worked in Donovan’s office since 2011 after graduating from Vermont Law School.

George told the Burlington Free Press at the time that she decided to seek the position after receiving encouragement from colleagues, even though she knew she'd be up against fellow deputy prosecutor Bram Kranichfeld and longtime Chittenden County lawyer Ted Kenney.

George nominated herself at a December meeting of the Chittenden County Democratic Committee to be considered for the top prosecutor position.

The committee submitted three names to Scott for consideration and ranked the names based on the number of votes each nominee received.

George was ranked third while fellow deputy prosecutor Kranichfeld was ranked first.

Kranichfeld quit after he was denied the promotion.

If George were to seek a congressional seat she would be the second Chittenden County prosecutor to do so.

In 1974 then county state's attorney Leahy, 33 at the time, announced he would seek a U.S. senate seat.

Leahy offended leaders of both political major political parties when he went ahead with the announcement even before George Aiken had said whether he would retire, according to former University of Vermont political science professor Garrison Nelson.

The Republican former governor and long-serving senator decided he would step down after Leahy's announcement.

Leahy went on to upset U.S. Rep. Richard Mallory, a Republican, for Aiken's seat.

Leahy, who has served nearly eight terms in the senate, announced recently that he would retire next year.