| Sign up | Log in | Forgot Password |
Fumo gives up senate bid; will serve out term
By Ed Goppelt
Wednesday, 03/12/08
(1205351707522)
State Senator Vincent Fumo announced today that he would not seek a ninth term in office avoiding a nasty primary battle. Fumo told the crowd of 100 gathered at the PA Convention Center that he would complete his term which expires the end of this year.
"I will continue to represent you with all the energy God allows me to muster to the very end of my term in office," Fumo said, reading from a prepared announcement. Fumo press aide Gary Tuma had advised the media earlier that no questions would be taken from the press.
Governor Ed Rendell, Fumo's son Vincent E. Fumo, Jr. and the Senator's girl friend Carolyn Zinni flanked Fumo on the dias. When Governor Rendell stepped up to the podium to praise Fumo for his service, the Senator and Zinni held hands. Both Fumo and Rendell appeared to tear up at times during the announcement.
The crowd, primarily media, also included political insiders such as former City Councilmen Angel Ortiz & Jimmy Tayoun, City Council aide Brian Abernathy, Carpenters Union head Ed Coryell and members of the Senator's staff. At least initially, a heavy police presence of both uniformed and civil affairs officers turned away anyone without a valid press ID.
Fumo described his withdrawal from the senate race as a retirement. According to news reports, Fumo decided yesterday to end his senate career.
Fumo repeatedly stressed the many fights for good causes he had been involved in over the years, but tacitly acknowledged that holding onto his senate seat was one fight he had decided to walk away from. "It's hard for me to take this step because I know that I have much more to offer and the urge to continue the fight to help people is still strong," said Fumo.
Fumo said it was federal criminal charges and not his health that led him to give up the fight to hold onto his senate seat. Fumo suffered a heart attack last week.
Federal prosecutors filed a 139 count federal criminal indictment against Fumo last February, alleging among other things that Fumo defrauded taxpayers and two non-profit organizations and tried to cover it up. Fumo's trial is set for September.
"To be frank, the stress of being under indictment has taken a very real emotional toll--a toll that does not afford me the ability to run the kind of campaign I would like to run and would have run in the past," said Fumo.