Lisman says the 2016 election could be the “right moment” for his gubernatorial bid.
This isn’t the first time the Shelburne resident and Vermont native has thought about jumping into the governor’s race. Lisman also mulled a race in 2014 because he said people were asking him to run. Ultimately, he begged off.
“Last time I did think about it, but not very seriously and not for very long,” Lisman said.
This time, Lisman says he is taking more time to deliberate.
The gubernatorial campaign would give him an opportunity to “amplify” the issues around government transparency he’s raised through his nonprofit advocacy group Campaign for Vermont over the past last five years. Those ideas are “starting to resonate” to a greater extent with the public, Lisman says.
He criticized Gov. Peter Shumlin for promising too much and not being transparent when he couldn’t deliver.
Lisman says the people of Vermont deserve a higher level of competency from government.
“This is a moment in which people are suspicious of their political leaders, their political parties, of the same old stuff, and many people think their government at all levels isn’t listening to them,” Lisman said.
Shumlin announced in June that he would not be seeking re-election for a fourth term. Lisman is the latest in a lineup of potential candidates that have expressed an interest in running for a rare open gubernatorial seat.
Eric Davis, a pundit and retired Middlebury political science professor, says Lisman would likely run as an independent and would siphon votes away from the Republican candidate for governor. Voters who are looking for a fiscally conservative candidate would be divided between Lisman and Republican Phil Scott, who is also contemplating a run for governor.
Lisman says Scott’s decision won’t impact his, and he hasn’t decided whether he would run as an independent, Republican or Democrat.
David Sunderland, chair of the Vermont GOP, says he is concerned about the impact of a Lisman run on the Republican candidate for governor. Sunderland says Lisman has identified many of the same issues that the party has built its platform on, namely “the crisis of affordability” (a phrase oft-used by Scott) and reining in government spending.
“If Mr. Lisman did choose to run as an independent, it would bring our state closer to remaining under single party control,” Sunderland said. “We would be getting more of the same policies of the past and less of the change we think Vermonters are very much thirsty for. Running as an independent would be counterproductive to our mutual goals.”
Another advantage? Lisman has deep pockets and would not have to worry about fundraising. Lisman could force Scott to spend money early on that he would otherwise use to fight Democratic candidates, Davis said.
Three Democrats have expressed an interest in a Democratic primary: Sue Minter, secretary of the Agency of Transportation, Matt Dunne, a former state senator and Google executive, and Shap Smith, the House Speaker and an attorney with Dinse Knapp McAndrew.
Lisman declined to say when he will make an announcement. Smith is expected to declare this month, and Scott has said he will announce after Labor Day. Dunne, who says he is seeking advice from supporters before he makes a decision, has raised $135,000 so far, more than any other candidate.
Lisman is critical of state spending, which has outpaced tax receipts, and he contends that Shumlin and the Legislature have raised taxes on the middle class.
“I don’t think the people asked to have their taxes raised,” Lisman said.
Government spending, he says, should be tied to outcomes, and the state needs a five to 10 year plan for investments in roads and infrastructure.
“Knowing how well we spend our money, and spending finding way to spend it better,” he said would be a hallmark of his tenure as governor.
Editor’s note: Morgan True contributed to this report. This story was updated at 10 a.m.
