[W]hile enthusiasm for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Christine Hallquist’s campaign has translated into an influx of small donations from supporters in Vermont and around the country, her campaign is still struggling to best Gov. Phil Scott’s fundraising efforts.
In the last month, Hallquist’s campaign has raised $130,849 from 1,229 contributors, according to the latest campaign finance filings with the Vermont Secretary of State’s office. Unlike Scott, Hallquist has sworn off corporate donations: more than 1,100 of the contributions to her campaign came in amounts under $100.
Scott meanwhile, raised $138,080 from 372 contributors in September, an amount that was buoyed by larger donations from individuals and some corporations including Coca-Cola, the tobacco company Altria, and several Vermont businesses.
Overall Scott has raised about $500,000 this election cycle and spent roughly $400,000. Hallquist has raised about $375,000 and has more than $80,000 left in the bank.
Though Hallquist did not surpass Scott this month in fundraising, her campaign manager, Cameron Russell, said that small donations have been pouring in consistently since August’s primary and will only increase in the coming weeks.
He also pointed out that Scott has far fewer individuals donating to his campaign.
“I would say for somebody who’s been in office for 18 years and the number of people who are supporting Scott — that would be much more of a concern” than the total fundraising figures, he said.
On Monday, Hallquist received an endorsement from Barack Obama, who also endorsed dozens of other Democratic candidates around the country. Russell said the endorsement would increase momentum in the final weeks leading up to Election Day.
Russell also noted a new poll commissioned by the Vermont Democratic Party and released on Tuesday that shows Scott and Hallquist “locked in a statistical tie,” the party claims. The poll, conducted by Tulchin Research, shows Hallquist with 42 percent of the vote and Scott with 50, with a 4.9 percent margin of error.
“There’s a path,” Russell said. “So we’re going to follow it and make sure that we get her into office.”
Brittney Wilson, Scott’s campaign manager, said the Democrats’ poll doesn’t square with her campaign’s internal polling — though she declined to speak about the specifics of that data.
“That’s not consistent with what I’m seeing and hearing and feeling,” Wilson said.
Fundraising this campaign cycle continues to pale in comparison with 2016 levels.
In the last gubernatorial election, Scott had raised $1.2 million by early October and his Democratic opponent, Sue Minter, had brought in $1.5 million.
“I don’t think Vermonters are going to be upset with a campaign … that isn’t dominating the airwaves,” Wilson said. “We’re raising the amount of money that we need to execute our plan.”
