Editor’s note: Trail Mix is an occasional column on political campaigns.
The threat comes from the left — not from a Democrat (John Bauer bowed out of the race with very little fanfare) — but from a Progressive who is loaded for bear.
Dean Corren, a former state rep from Burlington and a single payer proponent, succeeded in qualifying for $200,000 in public campaign funding. Corren will be the first candidate to benefit from taxpayer money since Steve Hingtgen, also a Progressive, ran for lieutenant governor in 2004.
In an animated speech, Scott told members of the Republican state party recently he is dismayed that Corren has more money available for the lieutenant governor’s race than Scott has raised in donations from supporters in the past two election cycles.
“This is a formidable candidate who will be running against me with $200,000,” Scott said.
In the 2012 election cycle, Scott raised $191,000 and spent $129,000. His challenger, Cassandra Gekas, who ran on the Democratic and Progressive tickets, raised $51,000 and spent $43,000.
“It’s coming out of our tax dollars in some form,” Scott said. “There is no line item in the budget at this point. It will come up in budget adjustment (the mid-year correction for state spending), but it’s going to come out of some program somewhere, and it’s $200,000 that’s going to be used in this campaign against me.”
Scott explained why he is opposed to using public money.
“I would rather have folks give me money to support my candidacy rather than take advantage of tax dollars,” Scott said. “Each and every one in this room would support that aversion to supporting candidates we don’t necessarily support by doing so with tax dollars.”
At that point, Scott launched into talking points on his main issue: “the crisis of affordability” in Vermont that he says is resonating with voters. “I receive letters from people who said I can’t afford to send you money, I’m living on a fixed income. I support your cause, I support you. Please help us, please make the state more affordable so we can all live here.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story said Hingtgen ran for governor in 2004. He ran for lieutenant governor. The total amount raised by Scott was $191,000, not $351,000; Gekas raised $51,000 not $90,000 as originally reported.
