Phil Scott, who’s been lieutenant governor for five years and was a state senator for 10 before that, says he will announce Tuesday what has long been expected: He’s running for governor in 2016.
Scott, 57, a Republican who lives in Berlin and co-owns an excavating company, plans to hold a campaign kickoff later this fall. He will face a primary race against retired Wall Street executive Bruce Lisman of Shelburne, who announced his candidacy last week.
So far, two Democrats have also announced their plans to run: House Speaker Shap Smith of Morristown and former state senator Matt Dunne of Hartland. Transportation Secretary Sue Minter of Waterbury could follow with an announcement of her own shortly.
Democrat Peter Shumlin, the three-term incumbent, announced in June he is not running for reelection.
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Still no Republicans announcing to run, just a couple of RINOs
Very pleased and relieved that a man of Phil Scott’s caliber will represent for Republicans, Lisman is Vermont’s mini-me version of Donald Trump and represents much that is wrong with the people in our government. Old, wealthy men who have spent their lives gaming a system rigged for their benefit who are now out for power and influence.
The voters will want to take a very close look at just what “fiscal responsibility” really means. Running state government is a lot different than running a business. Being fiscally responsible can mean that he’ll have to raise taxes to address prioritized needs. A fair question would be what ARE his priorities and how will they be funded. What cuts will be made and where to address his priorities.
It won’t be until voters learn the specifics will they then be able to make an informed decision. For the record, I like Phil Scott a lot, but as Lt. Gov in the minority in the Senate he has never had to cast more than one or two votes. Yes, he has a record from when he was State Senator and we’d all be wise to look that over carefully.
I believe that Phil Scott is a good man but I didn’t hear him speaking in opposition to what Shumlin has been doing. That to me is a bad sign.
Phil Scott is a totally serious candidate and would do a fine job as Governor. Having had lengthy personal discussions with him, I can safely say that he is solidly cognizant that creating a Dependency State, which will require ever more ravenous taxes to finance, is catastrophic. He is crystal-clear that gainful employment is the way to go, and to attain that, he will motivate entrepreneurs to set up their manufacturing operations here. When people are employed with decent paychecks, then they do not need to be captives of a Dependency State. That also means that you don’t have to go tax everybody else to support those now freed from the Dependency State, so then there is less pressure to raise funds by ever more taxes – which can no longer be paid, because nobody has any money. Prosperity comes from paychecks, and paycheck flow from viable employers. Phil understands that fundamental dynamic.