Cassandra Gekas, the Democratic and Progressive candidate for lieutenant governor, will get a little help from her friends this week at an official campaign kickoff Thursday.
Gov. Peter Shumlin, who encouraged Gekas to run against popular incumbent Republican Phil Scott, will endorse her race. Scott is close to the governor, and he participates in Shumlin’s Cabinet meetings. At a press conference in July, the governor said he would back all Democratic contenders in statewide races, including Gekas and Doug Hoffer, the Democrat running for state auditor.
Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s Homemade and the treasurer of Gekas’ campaign, will host her campaign launch at Union Station in Burlington. Senate President Pro Tem John Campbell and retiring Sen. Hinda Miller, both Democrats, will be on hand for the launch, along with Melinda Moulton, CEO of Main Street Landing.
Gekas, a former health care advocate for VPIRG, decided to make a run for the seat just hours before the filing deadline in June after the governor’s office urged her to get on the ballot. The Vermont Democratic Party office scrambled to help her get signatures for her filing petition.
Shortly afterward, Paul Burns, executive director of VPIRG, fired Gekas for what he called an “unprofessional and dishonest move, doing great damage to VPIRG and to a lesser extent the movement for health care in Vermont.” In a letter to board members, he said he was “sickened” by her decision.
Attempts to reach the Gekas campaign were unsuccessful.
