From the article:
Senate GOP leader Allan Kittleman told his caucus this morning that he will step aside as minority leader, heeding concerns from other Republican senators who voiced discomfort over his decision to introduce a civil unions bill.
"I'm a social moderate and I wanted to stand up for what I believe in," Kittleman, from Howard County, said in a brief interview this morning before going to the Senate floor. “It is more important for me to stay true to my beliefs than it is for me to be the Minority Leader,” he said.
Speaking on the Senate floor he it was "no secret" that he is left of his caucus on social issues. He said the caucus would "feel more comfortable" with a different leader.
My first thought on this was that it's a shame to lose a reasonable moderate from the a leadership position. However, HoCoRising has another take on this, including the possibility of this as a step in Sen. Kittleman's run for County Exec.
Not exactly too sure I'd characterize Allan as moderate, though he's certainly less conservative than some of the more vocal Republicans in the legislature.
ReplyDeleteI think this move says several things. One, that he is serious about the civil unions bill and that he wants to make an effort to get it to pass. Another is that he may be focusing his ambitions on something higher.
Logic would say that he'd run for County Exec, but I've said before and posted on 53 Beers that he ought to run for Governor. Allan Kittleman has a style and personal demeanor that I think can serve him well on a larger stage.