Scott will not run for the U.S. Senate

Rep. Bobby Scott (D- Newport News) used the occasion of his popular Labor Day picnic to announce his decision to pass on a run for the U.S. Senate.  Scott will instead seek re-election to his seat in the House of Representatives.

Scott was part of a large group of democrats mulling a run for Senate since current Senator Jim Webb announced his plans to not run for re-election.  However that group significantly shrunk after former Gov. Tim Kaine announced his plans to run for the seat. While most establishment democrats got behind Kaine’s campaign, Scott remained open to the idea of a primary challenge. His interest was encouraged by liberals in the party who felt Kaine was not far enough to the left.

But as time went on, the realistic prospects of Scott mounting a serious challenge to Kaine dwindled and despite the fact that he refused to reveal his plans definitively, few believed he would actually jump into the race.

Today, Scott made it official that he would not run for the Senate, but in a statement still contends that he could beat Kaine.

“Though I believe I can win the democratic nomination and the general election,” He wrote.  “A winning campaign would require me devoting all of my time for the next 14 months to that campaign.”  The Congressman believes too many vital issues are at stake in Washington for him to devote all of his time on the campaign trail.

It is clear though that Scott still has his sites set on eventually moving up in the political world. He made it clear that he is still interested in running for a higher office.  “Although I am announcing that I will not seek my party’s nomination for the U.S. Senate, I have not ruled out running for higher office in the future,” he wrote.

Scott has also thrown his support behind a Kaine candidacy.  According to several tweets at the Labor Day picnic, Scott introduced Kaine as the “next Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia”. A moment captured by the Young Democrats at VCU:

Perhaps a subtle notice for potential candidates for a 2016 Senate race, if Sen. Mark Warner decides to do something else?

The full statement from Rep. Scott can be seen below: