MoveOn.org, a national progressive public policy advocacy group, will fund two political action committees in Vermont to support Democratic candidate for governor, Christine Hallquist.
The organization has yet to determine when or how much it will spend on Hallquist’s bid, according to Lisa Changadveja, MoveOn’s state and local elections director. She said Thursday some of the money raised will be used to pay for digital and social media advertising on Hallquist’s behalf.
A document filed with the Secretary of State’s office Wednesday showed MoveOn has opened a coordinated PAC. Under Vermont law, contributions to this type of PAC are limited to $4,080, according to Changadveja. At the same time, MoveOn will be able to consult with the campaign on how the money is spent, though it says this isn’t a priority.
“We don’t actually plan on having much conversation with the campaign,” Changadveja said.
MoveOn also plans to open an independent expenditure PAC — a fund for which there are no financial limits, but coordination on spending with campaigns is barred, she said.
The money from MoveOn would likely be the first PAC dollars spent on the Hallquist campaign, but not in this year’s governor’s race.
The Republican Governors Association, has already waded into Vermont’s gubernatorial race, spending more than $200,000 on Gov. Phil Scott’s campaign, largely in support of political advertising efforts.
Though Hallquist campaign has sworn off corporate campaign donations, Hallquist’s campaign has never said it would reject support from PACs.
“I honestly don’t know what it’ll mean money-wise, but it’s a great sign that MoveOn knows that the gov’s race is competitive and we thank their members for the support,” Cameron Russell, Hallquist’s campaign manager said in a text message.
Changadveja noted that MoveOn itself doesn’t accept corporate contributions. The organization spends on progressive races across the country, and has raised a total of nearly $17 million this year.
Changadveja added that in addition to financial support, MoveOn will be mobilizing its members, 21,000 of whom live in Vermont, to campaign for Hallquist.
Changadveja said MoveOn is offering Hallquist financial backing because she’s the “clear progressive in the race.” She mentioned Hallquist’s support for raising the minimum wage and implementing a single payer health care system. An internal poll of Vermont’s MoveOn members showed that 92 percent of them support Hallquist, she added.
Hallquist is the first openly transgender candidate to run for governor, and Changadveja said this also was a factor in the organization’s decision.
“That’s pretty historic and transformative and we want to be there to help,” she said.
