Gov. Peter Shumlin on Friday named his assistant, Scott Coriell, to serve as campaign manager to lead the governor’s bid for a third term.
Shumlin, who returns Saturday from a two-week vacation on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, will formally kick off his campaign Sept. 9, according to a news release.
Coriell, a Killington native, joined Shumlin’s staff in 2013 as a special assistant. Before that he worked for Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and worked on the campaign of President Barack Obama in New Hampshire, the release said.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to help Governor Shumlin continue fighting for working Vermonters and making progress,” Coriell said in an email. “I’m ready to get to work and looking forward to the next couple of months. My first task will be to get the details of the campaign kick-off squared away. We’ll have more details on that later next week.”
Shumlin, a Democrat, will face Republican Scott Milne, Libertarian Dan Feliciano, Liberty Union candidate Pete Diamondstone and independents Cris Ericson, Bernard Peters and Emily Peyton in the Nov. 4 general election.
Shumlin heads into the race as a heavy favorite. Milne, a political newcomer, has raised about $43,000 for the campaign while Shumlin has more than $1 million in the bank, including about $577,000 raised during the current two-year election cycle.
“My campaign will focus on the challenges and opportunities facing our great state in the years ahead,” Shumlin said in a statement. “We have made great progress, but I will not rest until all Vermonters have the economic security and quality of life they deserve. It has been a great honor to serve as Vermont’s governor and I look forward to traveling the state over the coming weeks and asking Vermonters for their support for two more years of progress.”
