The numbers were culled from the final campaign reports filed with the secretary of state’s office. The tally includes all spending by candidates and political action committees in both the primary period and the general election.
Not included is campaign spending by the Vermont Democratic and Republican parties, because party reports do not distinguish between local and state races. The Vermont GOP spent $171,000 on 2016 races, a fraction of the more than $564,000 outlay by the state Democratic Party.
Republican Gov.-elect Phil Scott’s campaign spent $1.6 million, roughly half a million less than Democrat Sue Minter, who spent more than $2 million in her unsuccessful bid. Roughly half of each candidate’s campaign outlay went toward producing and distributing political advertisements.
Political action committees associated with the national Republican and Democratic governors associations sank millions more into advertising on their respective candidates’ behalf.
The RGA PAC, called A Stronger Vermont, spent more than $3 million to help get Scott elected. Minter received roughly half as much support from a PAC affiliated with the DGA — called Our Vermont — which spent $1.4 million throughout the campaign on behalf of the former transportation secretary.
The DGA, however, also donated $375,000 to the Planned Parenthood Vermont Action Fund PAC, which spent $455,000 in a campaign portraying Scott as an opponent of women’s reproductive rights.
Minter also received support from various other political action committees, including:
• The Vermont Conservation Voters Action Fund: $298,007
The League of Conservation Voters donated a total of $225,250 to the fund. Other Vermont donors to the group include wind developer David Blittersdorf, Burlington developer Lisa Steele and philanthropist Crea Lintilhac.
• Vermont Conservation Victory Fund: $5,266
The fund, which was active only during the Democratic primary season, included some of the same donors as the Vermont Conservation Voters Action Fund, including Blittersdorf and Lintilhac.
• Vermonters for Strong Leadership: $124,199
Women Vote! — an offshoot of the PAC Emily’s List — provided most of the money for the group, donating $125,000 in August. The fund garnered $140,000 in donations spent a total of $124,199.
• Our Revolution: $25,000
A progressive political organization formed by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders after his failed presidential bid, Our Revolution put $25,000 toward online ads supporting Minter and Lt. Gov.-elect David Zuckerman on Nov. 4.
• Gun Sense Victory Fund: $1,700
The political group, which focuses on electing Vermont politicians who are in favor of additional gun regulations, put $1,700 toward ads on WCAX-TV supporting Minter.
Gov.-elect Scott also benefited from a smattering of political action committees, including:
• National Association of Realtors Fund: $81,586
The Chicago-based advocacy group supported Scott through online advertising this fall.
• Vermont Right to Life PAC: $6,253
The advocacy group sent a mailer urging its members to support a number of candidates, including Scott. He said throughout the campaign that he didn’t support the group’s mission, but the campaign stopped short of disavowing the group’s support.
• National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund: $8,258
The NRA fund sent out a mailer in the fall in support of Scott. Throughout the campaign, Scott consistently dismissed any calls for further gun restrictions, even when Minter brought up the number of domestic violence-related gun homicides in Vermont.
A large chunk of this year’s spending came from two primary candidates, Republican Bruce Lisman and Democrat Peter Galbraith.
Galbraith spent a total of $402,000, more than $217,000 of which came from the candidate himself. Lisman’s campaign spent $2.3 million, nearly $2 million of which came from Lisman.
In addition to the money Lisman invested in his own campaign, he gave $1,500 to Scott, his former foe, as the race came to a close.
