Two Democrats running for Vermont lieutenant governor are neck and neck in the fundraising race, campaign filings show.
Molly Gray, the former LG, and Ryan McLaren, a former staffer for U.S. Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), raised nearly identical amounts of money for their campaigns by the March 15 filing deadline.
Gray raised slightly more cash during the period than McLaren, with $154,527 to McLaren’s $151,251. When total contributions were tallied, however, including noncash donations, McLaren edged out Gray, with $156,032 to her $155,469.
The very similar hauls suggest that McLaren has positioned himself as a serious contender in the race and that Gray has a fight on her hands to reclaim her old job.
“Our first campaign finance report makes one thing crystal clear — Vermonters are ready for a new voice in the Lt. Governor’s office,” Molly Moore, McLaren’s campaign manager, said in a release.
McLaren’s campaign spent about $35,600 and had $115,660 on hand. Notable donors included former governor Peter Shumlin ($1,000), Bolton Valley Resort co-owner Lindsay DesLauriers ($200), Vermont Gas president and CEO Neale Lunderville ($1,000), and Jane and Bill Stetson, prolific fundraisers for Democrats who live in Norwich and contributed a combined $6,180.
In a press release of her own, Gray said she was aware that Vermonters were “in hard financial times.”
“I won’t raise a penny more than is needed to meet our small budget. We’ll win by organizing at the grassroots level — town by town, person by person,” she said.
Notable donors to Gray included former governor Howard Dean ($2,000); former Sugarbush owner Win Smith ($1,000); and Patricia Pomerleau ($2,500), whose family is best known for its local real estate empire.
Gray’s campaign spent about $16,400 and had around $138,550 on hand. Gray raised some $435,000 in her first run for LG in 2020, filings show.
The winner of the August Democratic primary will take on Lt. Gov. John Rodgers, a Republican, in November.
Rodgers, who does not yet have a primary challenger, raised $36,740 during the period.
Esther Charlestin, the Democratic candidate for governor in 2024 who says she is running for LG this year, did not file a campaign disclosure by the deadline.
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