Updated March 16 at 10:33 a.m.
Republican Gov. Phil Scott raised more than $108,000 for his presumed reelection campaign over the past seven months, according to a filing Thursday with the Secretary of State’s Office. His newest Democratic opponent, Christine Hallquist, collected more than $40,000 in the opening days of her campaign. Another Democrat, James Ehlers, raised $19,000 since declaring his candidacy last summer.
The governor’s filing shows a steady, substantial stream of donations since Vermont’s last reporting deadline, in July 2017. Hallquist, who first declared interest in the race in January, only began raising money on March 4, when her Morrisville campaign office opened its doors, according to campaign manager Cameron Russell.
Scott’s fundraising was dominated by large gifts, almost entirely from Vermonters or Vermont-based businesses: $83,000 of the $108,000 he raised came in donations of $1,000 or more. Eight donors gave the individual maximum of $4,000, including retiring Barre mayor Thom Lauzon and his wife, Karen, and four members of the Pomerleau family, including the late Tony Pomerleau.
Other top Scott donors included developer Wayne Lamberton ($4,000), BioTek Instruments vice president Adam Alpert ($2,000), Vermont Radiologists ($2,000), GW Plastics ($1,000), People’s United Vermont president Michael Seaver ($1,000), Sen. Dick Mazza (D-Grand Isle) and wife Dorothy Mazza ($1,500), and Monsanto ($500). Scott also received and returned a $1,000 gift from the Honeywell International Political Action Committee.
The Scott campaign has spent $18,000 since last July. Top expenditures included roughly $4,200 for printing and mailing and $3,000 to 0ptimus Consulting, a Washington, D.C.-based firm. The governor’s campaign fund, including a surplus from his 2016 campaign, has close to $110,000.
Hallquist reported total receipts of slightly less than $43,000, including $2,600 worth of in-kind contributions. Nearly all of her money came in individual gifts of $1,000 or more, including a combined $8,000 from Hallquist and her wife Pat.
The Democratic campaign accepted three large corporate gifts: $2,000 from Florida-based Barrett M. Singer Co., $4,080 from Vermont Telephone Co., and $4,000 from Green Mountain Animal, a South Burlington manufacturer of, according to its website, “premium quality extruded products for dogs and cats.”
Hallquist’s campaign has spent about $2,600, leaving her with nearly $38,000 cash-on-hand. She told Seven Days last month that she plans to raise “over $2 million” for her campaign.
Ehlers, head of the water advocacy group Lake Champlain International, has raised only $19,000 since formally launching his campaign last July. His total is buoyed by $8,160 from Pam and Mark Floodgate of Naples, Fla. According to campaign manager Theo Fetter, Mark Floodgate is a friend and former business partner of Ehlers’.
The Democratic candidate also received $2,000 from Judith McLaughlin of Enosburg Falls. McLaughlin is a two-time candidate for state Senate; she ran as a Republican in 2010 and as an independent in 2012. Ehlers did not receive any corporate or PAC money. He has spent nearly $10,000 on his campaign, leaving him with roughly $9,000 in the bank.
A third Democrat in the race, 13-year-old Ethan Sonneborn, reported contributions totaling $633 — $94 of which came from himself or his immediate family, according to his filing.
Springfield Republican Keith Stern, who runs Stern’s Quality Produce in White River Junction, is challenging Scott from the right. The former congressional candidate reported raising a surprising total of $28,000 in in the past seven months — but $23,000 of that came in the form of loans from the candidate himself. Even so, Stern has little left in the kitty; he has already spent $27,000.
More than three-quarters of Stern’s money has gone to a Piermont, N.H., media marketing firm called Many Streams, a one-person shop owned by Rebecca Bailey. Stern is her first political client, and he is paying her more than $6,200 a month.
Stern also bought an AR-15 rifle for $647.66. He is raffling it off to raise campaign cash. And if that doesn’t give you an idea of his stance on gun rights, he spent $125 on stickers that read “Ammosexual.”
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Go Keith Stern, a lot of Vermonters are disappointed with flip-flop Scott, says one thing does the opposite. Thought we had finally voted in a good Governor, seeing we haven’t had one in yrs. Scott you proved us wrong.We won’t be played fools any longer. This anti-gun crap you have crossed the line. Vermont has always been the safest place with guns. Gun owners are responsible owners., always has been.. Keith Stern has some great ideas to help Vermont. He’s for the 2nd amendment “THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS” Think some of these liberals in Montpelier should read the 2nd amendment and the Vermont Constitution Right to Bear Arms. Think about it Vermont the safest state in the Nation for gun rights, We are not NYC, MD, Chicago and let’s not forget California .. Amazing some of the donors for Scott are from out of state and democrats.. In my opinion, out of state companies and out of staters should NOT be involved in Vermont politics.. Keith Stern has my vote and a lot of my family and friends vote..
Donna.. I couldn’t agree more with everything you said..
We were lied to by flip-flop Phil Scott…
My father always taught us that a man is only as good as his word… guess we know where that leaves flip flops Phil Scott
If he violates the the people that fought so hard to get him elected he will violate anyone who backs him
You can never trust a liar..
We will make Keith Stern our new governor and we will have an honest man under the golden dome in Montpelier
Donna – if out of staters should not be involved in Vermont politics…how do you feel about Stern paying six grand a month to a woman from New Hampshire to run his campaign?
Burlington Political Observer…Mr Stern is not taking money from out of staters. He hired the lady.