Gov. Phil Scott on Wednesday said that he has made up his mind about running for re-election, but won’t announce his plans until Thursday — the deadline for candidates to file for primaries.
“I’ll come out with a statement then. I have until five o’clock tomorrow, but I have arrived at a decision, but I’ll make that known tomorrow,” the governor said at his press conference Wednesday. He told reporters on Friday that he would ponder his plans over the weekend.
Scott had previously said that he would not make his decision known until the 2020 legislative session was finished, but that schedule was undermined by the coronavirus. The Legislature is now planning on working through the summer, with budgeting all but impossible until there is clarity on federal assistance.
John Klar, who is leading a coalition of “Agripublican” candidates to run for statewide and local offices, would challenge Scott in the Republican gubernatorial primary.
Assuming he runs, Scott would likely face one of the three Democratic candidates — Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, former Education Secretary Rebecca Holcombe, and attorney Patrick Winburn — in the general election in November.
— Colin Meyn
