The Republican Governors Association released its fourth advertisement in support of Phil Scott in four weeks on Thursday, a sign the national party will continue to act aggressively to regain control of the Statehouse.
The fourth spot — entitled “Grow Jobs” — portrays Scott as a bipartisan business leader who can strike political deals.
“Here in Vermont, we’re not creating jobs. Phil Scott will put us back on track,” the ad begins as Vermonters testify to his competence. “As a small business owner, he knows how to grow jobs for Vermont.”
The fourth RGA ad comes just days after another spot supporting Scott was introduced, called “Handshake.” That advertisement features images of Scott shaking hands with voters throughout the state while audio of one of his campaign speeches promises action and bipartisanship.
“You can do everything with a handshake, and that means something here in Vermont,” Scott says. “You have to reach across the aisle. You have to listen to others. In order to get something done sometimes, you have to give other people credit.”
The flurry of Scott ads, which are funded by an RGA-backed political action committee called A Stronger Vermont, have been on the airwaves since Scott won his primary battle against Bruce Lisman in early August.
As of last week, A Stronger Vermont had spent a total of $522,675 in the general election on ad buys, including for advertisement that will run over the next several weeks. This week, A Stronger Vermont has made additional buys totaling more than $10,000.
The Democratic Governors Association has been less aggressive than the Republicans thus far, putting its first ad in support of Sue Minter on the airwaves this week, one month after the Republican Governors Association began airing spots in support of Phil Scott.
The Minter spot — called “Vermont’s Decision” — focuses on Minter’s support of educational programs while portraying Scott as a governor who would slash educational spending.
“Phil Scott thinks Vermont spends too much on education and said universal preschool is a ‘real burden,’” the ad states.
The political action committee responsible for the Minters ads — Our Vermont — has roughly $100,000 in the bank, according to a report filed with the Secretary of State’s office on Sept. 1.
Federal Communication Commission reports show Our Vermont has spent more than $55,000 in media time on WCAX and more than $48,000 on WPTZ.
The ads from the RGA and the DGA are independently produced and election rules require the PACs not coordinate with the candidate or their campaign.
The Vermont gubernatorial race is seen as competitive, and the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics recently updated their forecast for the Green Mountain race from “leans Democratic” to “toss-up.”
