GreenBayProgressive.com
Elected Officials - Thursday, September 24, 2009
La Crosse, Wis. - U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse, announced today that he will not run for governor in 2010, saying he has a responsibility to stay in Congress to work on health care reform.
Kind said this afternoon he was humbled by the outpouring of support he received while contemplating a bid. He made the following statement.
“Over the last month, people from across Wisconsin have reached out and encouraged me to run for Governor.
“My family and I appreciate this encouragement and want to thank everyone for their faith in me and my ability to lead our state. They know, as I do, that it will take a strong leader to get the job done, so the outpouring of support for my candidacy has been humbling.
“Having grown up in Wisconsin and caring passionately about the future of our state, I know the challenge of gettingWisconsin back to work is a big one. I’ve given this serious consideration. It was a hard decision for both me and my family. But my first responsibility must be to get affordable and accessible health care reform passed this year for allWisconsin families. That is why I cannot run for Governor. I have a responsibility and duty to the people of Wisconsin to continue work on the health care reform agenda ahead of us.
“In Wisconsin, 230 people lose their health care coverage every day, 57,000 people in western Wisconsin do not have health insurance at all. Reducing the cost and increasing the accessibility of health care is critical for every Wisconsin family. My work on the health care debate cannot get done from the campaign trail. That is why I am going to stay on the job, working to get health care reform done right.
“I would like to thank people from across Wisconsin for their support, it is greatly appreciated.”