Many in Congress Have Eye on Statehouse

Eight members of Congress are trying to prove this year that there is a life for them beyond the Capitol--as governor.

Potomac fever rarely goes into remission, but among those politicians who have had enough of Capitol Hill, an increasingly popular career path leads to places like Little Rock, Tallahassee, Hartford and Montgomery.

Seven members of Congress won governorships from 1982 to 1989, about a third of those who tried. Those odds are hardly comparable to the 98% return rate for members of Congress who seek reelection, but the higher risk hasn’t discouraged a crop of eight new gubernatorial aspirants this year.

“You can do more in an afternoon as governor than you can in a career in Congress,” said one gubernatorial hopeful, Republican Rep. John G. Rowland of Connecticut, attributing the quip to former Delaware Gov. Pierre S. (Pete) du Pont.

It is a theme sounded often among those hoping to return home.

Many say they want to take on greater challenges, test their executive skills, set their own agendas and leave their marks on education, drug abuse, budgets, the business climate and the environment.

“I’ve spent the last seven years pushing and pulling, trying to get the federal government to deal with its deficit. It’s a very difficult process,” said Democratic Rep. Bruce A. Morrison, another Connecticut gubernatorial hopeful.

Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political scientist who wrote a book about the American governorship, calls Congress “an increasingly depressing place to work.”

“The budget deficit is a permanent excuse for inaction. Democrats and many Republicans are frustrated. The money isn’t there to do what they want to do, and the will to raise taxes isn’t there,” Sabato said.

In contrast, he said, “the states have both the resources and the will to innovate. Being in a state capitol is much more invigorating than it was 25 years ago.”

The desire to head home to the statehouse may run even deeper in Congress than what appears on the surface.

“For everyone that runs for governor out of Congress, there is generally a substantial number greater than that who are thinking about it, particularly in the off years,” said Rep. Joseph E. Brennan, a Maine Democrat who is trying to reclaim his old job as governor.

Members of Congress cite career advancement and personal fulfillment as primary reasons to return to the statehouse. But they also see the move as a chance to escape the pressures they face in Congress from constant travel, continuous fund-raising and little time for family.

Roots are another element of the pull towards home. Rowland, for instance, said his family has lived in Connecticut for 150 years.

Democratic Rep. Ronnie G. Flippo, hoping to become governor of Alabama, tells home state audiences he can’t get used to “a place that serves their tea hot and their green beans cold.”

Other members of Congress running for governor this year are Republican Sen. Pete Wilson of California and Reps. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.); Tommy F. Robinson (R-Ark.); and Wes Watkins (D-Okla.)

At least two more members are eyeing other state jobs as potential steppingstones.

Republican Sen. Gordon J. Humphrey of New Hampshire is retiring from the Senate and considering a run for a $100-a-year job in the part-time state Senate while he awaits a shot at the governorship. That won’t be until his friend, Republican Gov. Judd Gregg, decides to retire, which might not be until 1996.

Rep. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) considered a gubernatorial bid this year and opted to try for lieutenant governor on a ticket with former Cleveland Mayor George Voinovich.

DeWine, whose family moved back to Ohio last year, would take a pay cut from $96,600 to $51,000 if the GOP ticket wins. The trade-off, he said, is “a greater opportunity to get things done.” He’ll also have a statewide organization to activate when it’s his turn to run for governor or senator.