[F]ormer state senator Matt Dunne told the media last weekend that it was too early for any 2016 Vermont gubernatorial candidate to announce their political plans. But privately, the Hartland Democrat was confiding a different story — and has raised more than $130,000 as a result.
The 45-year-old head of community affairs at Google revealed Wednesday that he returned from a family vacation 10 days ago and contacted past supporters in hopes of adding to the $2,700 remaining from his unsuccessful 2010 gubernatorial bid.
“The response,” he said, “was quite amazing.”
Dunne has filed a campaign finance disclosure statement with the Secretary of State’s Office reporting that he raised $115,032 as of Sunday. In a separate communication to vtdigger.org, he noted he collected an additional $19,525 in the past two days, bringing his total to $134,558. Wednesday was the filing for any candidate who has raised at least $500 to submit an online report to the Secretary of State.
That money came from more than 100 donors, records show.
Notable names include two Internet-savvy couples that each gave $8,000: LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and his wife, Michelle Yee; and Mark Pincus, founder of Zynga, the online gaming company behind FarmVille, and his wife, Alison Pincus, co-founder of online home décor business One Kings Lane.
As for prominent Vermonters, Jay Canning, developer of downtown Burlington’s Hotel Vermont, his wife, Caroline, and their Westport Hospitality LLC each contributed $4,000; former Democratic national finance chairwoman Jane Watson Stetson and her husband, businessman Bill Stetson, gave a collective $4,000; and Dealer.com co-founder Mike Lane gave $3,000.
Dunne reported only two expenses: $1,581.81 to democracy.com for credit card processing fees, and $64 for a post office box. But he clearly expects to rack up more charges: Log onto his website, www.mattdunne.com, and the regular featured links to his “Matt Dunne for VT” Facebook and Twitter pages are now joined by a “Donate Now!” button.
“There are certain thresholds you need to make sure are in place,” he said of fundraising for a potential run, “and this is one of them.”
A Who’s Who of state politicos began considering their options after Gov. Peter Shumlin — who spent more than $1 million five years ago in the last race without an incumbent — announced last month that he won’t seek re-election.
Among Democrats, the media has floated the names of Dunne and fellow former state Sen. Peter Galbraith, Transportation Secretary Sue Minter, Progressive Sen. Anthony Pollina, former Human Services Secretary Doug Racine, Agriculture Secretary Chuck Ross, Speaker of the House Shap Smith, and, until they bowed out, Chittenden County State’s Attorney T.J. Donovan, Natural Resources Secretary Deb Markowitz and U.S. Rep. Peter Welch.
Smith, who has traveled in the past several weeks to Addison, Chittenden, Rutland, Windham and Windsor counties, says he hopes to make up his mind by the end of the month. On Wednesday, he filed only a campaign finance disclosure statement for his current position as state representative from Morristown, for which he reported $5,620.74 in the bank after his last election and $1,499.69 in printing and travel expenses.
Minter, a former state representative and Tropical Storm Irene chief recovery officer, said recently that “I’m definitely considering all of my options, and those include running for office,” but has yet to file a finance statement required of candidates who raise or spend at least $500.
Among Republicans, the media has floated the names of former state auditor Randy Brock, former Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie, 2014 Libertarian candidate Dan Feliciano, Campaign for Vermont founder Bruce Lisman, 2014 party nominee Scott Milne and Lt. Gov. Phil Scott.
Scott has filed a campaign finance disclosure statement only for his lieutenant governor campaign, reporting a $98,654.27 surplus from previous efforts and a $331.44 “total carry forward to the current campaign.” Scott could not be reached for comment.
Feliciano submitted paperwork as a gubernatorial candidate, reporting $89.63 from his 2014 run and no new contributions.
Kevin O’Connor, a former staffer of the Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times Argus, is a Brattleboro-based writer. Email: kevinoconnorvt@gmail.com
