Kerry Declines to Run in 2000

Ending weeks of speculation, Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) announced Friday that he will not enter the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Citing the duration of the impeachment process, Kerry explained that he had not had enough time to sound out potential sources of financial support for his candidacy.

Rep. Barney Frank '62 (D-Mass.), a veteran member of Congress with close ties to the White House, offered his own analysis of Kerry's decision not to join Bill Bradley in challenging Vice President Al Gore Jr. '69.

"He made a wise choice," Frank said. "Incumbent vice presidents who want to be president are nearly unstoppable."

At a press conference in Boston Friday afternoon, Kerry told reporters he did not think he could have raised the funds necessary to mount a successful campaign.

Although his 1995 marriage to Teresa Heinz, heir to the Heinz ketchup and food fortune, brought him personal wealth, Kerry has refrained from using family money to further his political career.

"Both [Teresa and I] feel very strongly at this point in time that it's not appropriate [to use our own resources]," Kerry said.

Had he entered the race, the senator, a long-time advocate of campaign finance reform, would have had to compete with Gore for donations from wealthy Democrats.

"The bumper stickers all say Clinton-Gore," Frank said. "It would have been hard to divide the bumper sticker."

Kerry has generally been a friend of the Clinton administration, though he declined to endorse the vice president, saying he will announce his choice later in the race.

Now that Kerry is officially out, the Democratic field includes only Gore and Bradley, although Rev. Jesse Jackson has said he is contemplating a bid for the nomination.

With his departure, Kerry joined House Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.), who also recently ditched plans to run.

"It is difficult to present a case for why Kerry or anyone should take over the reigns when Gore has such a good chance [of winning the general election]," said David Williams, a spokesperson for Rep. John Tierney (D-Mass.).

Asked for his take on Kerry's decision, Andrei Cherny '97, a Crimson editor who now works at the Democratic Leadership Council, remembered the words of Walter Mondale.

According to Cherny, Mondale once explained his reluctance to run by saying he didn't want to spend two years living in Holiday Inns.