[M]ore than $11 million was spent on advertising and other paid media in Vermont’s statewide races and legislative contests in 2016, a record amount of money on messaging that mostly benefited out-of-state vendors, according to a VTDigger.org analysis of campaign finance data.
Eighty-six percent of the $11 million spent in the election on media went to companies outside of Vermont, many of which are based in the Washington, D.C., area.
Accounts run by the candidates themselves bankrolled the majority of media spending — $5.18 million — though political action committees supporting candidates that are required to be independent were a close second, sinking $4.93 million on media production and distribution.
Nearly 63 percent of all media money spent in the Green Mountain State for 2016 races went to television advertising. Other top media types were postcards ($1.85 million), online advertisements ($949,256) and radio ($313,688).
The Vermont governor’s race saw the most media spending, with 93 percent of the $3.9 million spent directed to television spots.
Political PACs pumped millions of dollars into out-of-state vendors.
The top recipient of PAC media dollars for a Vermont race was Pinpoint Media, a Virginia-based ad placement company that took in $1.9 million. Pinpoint placed ads for A Stronger Vermont, a political action committee supporting Phil Scott that was largely funded by the Republican Governors Association.
The second biggest recipient was Great American Media, a D.C.-based media company that did work for two Democratic leaning PACs. Great American Media’s biggest client was Our Vermont, a political action committee supporting Sue Minter that was largely funded by the Democratic Governors Association. Our Vermont spent $1.1 million on media through Great American Media.
A PAC run by the Vermont Conservation Voters also used Great American Media for media services, paying the company $319,532 in the runup to the election.
