[G]ov. Phil Scott has raised more than $120,000 toward his re-election bid for 2018 as of March 15, the reporting deadline for campaign donations recorded on the Vermont Secretary of State website.
His main Democratic rival, Christine Hallquist, who just announced her bid for governor on Feb. 20 raised nearly $43,000 in that three week interim. Hallquist, the former longtime CEO of the Vermont Electric Cooperative, is the first transgender gubernatorial candidate in the nation.
Scott is in his first term as governor. The last time a first-term governor was unseated was in 1963, when Republican F. Ray Keyser narrowly lost the top post to Phil Hoff, the first Democratic governor to take office in a century.
Both Scott and Hallquist candidates face primary challenges. Keith Stern, a grocery store owner from Springfield and Trump supporter, is racing against Scott. Stern has poured about $28,000 of his own money into the bid so far.
James Ehlers, a clean water advocate, is running on the Democratic ticket and will face a primary with Hallquist. Ehlers has raised about $19,000 so far from small and large donors.
Thirteen-year-old candidate Ethan Sonneborn, a Democrat from Bristol, is also making a bid in the Democratic primary. He has raised $633.
The business community and conservative stalwarts have rallied financial support for Scott. He has received donations from the Pomerleau family, which has large real estate holdings in Chittenden County, totaling $12,000. GW Plastics, Honeywell International, VTK Partners, HA Manosh, D & C Transportation and Fecteau Residential have all given the governor $1,000 or more.
Hallquist has largely received support from individuals, but a few companies have contributed large donations, including Springfield based broadband company VTel and Green Mountain Animal LLC, an animal food processor, in South Burlington. She said in a statement that she has been “amazed with the overwhelmingly positive reception I’ve received so far.”
In the 2016 election cycle, Scott, his Democratic rival Sue Minter, outside groups, and Republican and Democratic primary candidates spent more than $13 million on the race for governor.
The Republican and Democratic primaries will be held Aug. 14.
CORRECTION: Green Mountain Animal LLC gave to Hallquist. We incorrectly stated originally that Green Mountain Animal Hospital was the donor.