A conservative political action committee supporting Republican Gov. Phil Scott doubled its spending on Vermont’s gubernatorial race in the first week of August, according to filings with the Secretary of State’s Office.
The super PAC, named A Stronger Vermont and funded by the Republican Governors Association, has spent $216,361 supporting Scott ahead of the August 14 primary.
Republican grocer Keith Stern is running against Scott for the party’s nomination, and the RGA spending days ahead of that vote suggests the national group is concerned that Scott is vulnerable. An RGA spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
In a filing Tuesday, A Stronger Vermont reported paying $115,540, including $91,000 for TV ads and an additional $8,000 for Facebook ads on August 6.
The RGA commercials are among the first in Vermont this campaign season.
The RGA, which launched its ad blitz with $100,000 on July 31 and more than doubled that spending a week later, has already put more money into the race for governor than any candidate had raised as of last month.
Campaign reports from July 15 show that Scott had raised $213,700 for this year’s campaign. Democratic challenger Christine Hallquist had raised $132,339, and no other candidate had received more than $60,000.
So far, no other super PACs are running ad campaigns in Vermont’s 2018 election.
This isn’t the first time outside groups have bought ads in a Vermont gubernatorial contest. By the end of the 2016 general election, the same Republican PAC had spent more than $2.9 million supporting Scott. Our Vermont, a super PAC run by the Democratic Governors Association, spent upward of $1.3 million backing Democratic nominee Sue Minter in that race.
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Republican dark money flooding into Vermont on behalf of Phil Scott. They must have done some polling showing he is in trouble – in next week’s primary and in the general election in November.
The RGA gets their money from the Kochs, from tobacco companies, from private prison companies, from the fossil fuel sector, and from countless other special interests and far right donors.
No surprise they’re rallying to Phil Scott… he vetoed a minimum wage increase, he vetoed paid family leave, he vetoed protections against toxic chemicals. The very same folks who worked to elect Donald Trump and Republicans across the country are eager to see Phil Scott and his Republican allies elected in Vermont. We can do so much better than this.
There is no reason for the super pacs to get involved in Vermont elections. They are run by unethical groups who will stop at nothing to get what they want.
I voted for Flip Flop Scott. I wanted our state to get to hell away from the democrats. I was so wrong to cast my precious vote on a man who is a democrat in sheep clothing, a man who doesn’t honor his promises, who lies to your face.who coward down to the legislators and that’s what he does.
1) took away our gun rights and change the gun laws,
2)took away our youth right to own a gun and hunt, to buy their first gun or be given their grandfathers gun
3)raised our taxes
4.side with the democrats instead of listening to Vermonters.
When I vote I expect an honest man who keeps his word. I expect a man who will listen to the people, who will do right for Vermont. Vermont has always been a safe state, even with the killings we have had the last few yrs.
compared to other states.
Vermont used to be a very patriotic state, our schools were topnotch, our colleges were great schools, our kids showed respect, would go out to find jobs ant kind of job to earn their own money. Vermont was an affordable state to live in, now you move because you can’t afford to live here.
What happened to Vermont? Vermont was never a racist state, now look at us, we are called racists. Vt has a long history of helping slaves escape. Vermont has lost its way of life.
My vote is going to an honest man, who believes in the 2nd amendment and the Vermont Constitution. I’m voting for Keith Stern who I consider another Calvin “Silent Cal” Coolidge.
Gotta wonder if the Republican Party is looking for future, moderate and mentally sane alternatives to the likes of Trump and his ilk that have taken over a lot of the party. If that is what is going on behind closed doors, it would provide one explanation for their putting this much financial support behind Governor Scott’s reelection campaign.