WAITSFIELD — In the first debate of the lieutenant governor’s race Thursday, Republican candidate Scott Milne went on the attack, pressing Democrat Molly Gray on her voting record while claiming that her policy proposals will add hundreds of millions of dollars to the state budget.
Gray, an assistant attorney general, in return slammed her opponent for his inability to list the names of the policy measures he was criticizing. The first-time candidate also accused Milne’s campaign of filing a public records request with the Vermont Attorney General’s Office demanding communications related to her run for lieutenant governor.
It was a heated discussion at the event at the Mad River Barn in Waitsfield, hosted by VTDigger and moderated by founder and editor Anne Galloway, as both candidates sparred over their economic policy proposals as well the Democrat’s failure to vote in four election cycles between 2008 and 2018.
Questions regarding Gray’s voting record came from members of the public as well as from Milne himself.
Gray said that she was “grateful” for the opportunity to discuss the issue, which has drawn criticism from Vermonters across the political spectrum since it became public knowledge during the primary campaign.
Gray said that she voted for former President Barack Obama in 2008 and for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016, but that vote four years ago was not counted because she was working internationally.
“Between that time I was an inconsistent voter — in 2010, 2012 and 2014,” Gray said.
“That is not something I’m proud of,” she added.
Later in the debate, Milne pressed Gray on the issue, asking why she deserves the vote of Vermonters when she failed to cast a ballot in several recent elections.
Gray responded by asking whether Milne has voted in every election that he has been eligible to cast a ballot in.
“No, but I have a consistent record over my lifetime of being a voter and you have a consistent record of not being a voter,” Milne said.
Milne also went on the attack over six policy proposals that Gray supports, claiming that they would add $560 million to the state budget.
In a planned strategy, the Milne campaign blasted out a press release just prior to the debate outlining the breakdown of policies that the Democratic candidate supports.
However, when Gray asked Milne if he could name the six proposals so she could respond to the claim, he could not.
“I’m not going to run through your top six,” Milne said.
“If we’re going to talk about budgets and money, I just need to know which ones you’re talking about,” Gray said, but the Republican still failed to name them.
“What I know from crisis and working in crisis is that you have to align your budget with your greatest needs and your values,” Gray said. “That is the challenge moving forward.”
According to Milne’s campaign, Gray’s proposals he was referring to are broadband buildout, expanding primary health care, a Vermont Green New Deal, a mandatory paid family leave program, and investments in the Vermont State Colleges System.
Gray went on the attack herself, asking pointedly whether a member of Milne’s campaign was responsible for a public information request that has “cost countless taxpayer dollars.”
Gray said the records request has asked for documents related to her run for lieutenant governor, emails, text messages and her work calendar.
The Democrat then asked Milne if he knew about the record request.
“If somebody from my campaign submitted that request, I would know about it,” Milne said.
“Would you publicly disavow the source of such an action at this time?” Gray pressed.
“No,” Milne responded.
The Thursday debate between the two candidates marks the first time they have met each other and comes just days after a Vermont Public Radio/Vermont PBS poll showed the race in a dead heat.
Gray leads with 35%, but Milne is close behind at 31%, but many voters — 24% — say they’re still not sure who they will vote for, according to the poll that was released Tuesday.
While Milne performs strongly with Republicans — capturing 68% of their support — he trails Gray by a large margin with Democratic support.
Sixty-one percent of Democratic leaning voters approve of Gray while only 9% back Milne.
Gray, likewise, is struggling with Republican voters, only capturing the support of 4% of those Vermonters polled.
On Sept. 21, Sen. Debbie Ingram, D-Chittenden, who ran against Gray in the Democratic primary, endorsed Milne over her own party’s nominee.
Rep. Linda Joy Sullivan, D-Dorset, has also endorsed Milne, joining Republicans Gov. Phil Scott, former Gov. Jim Douglas, Senate Minority Leader Sen. Joe Benning, R-Caledonia, and others.
In the months leading up to the primary, the assistant attorney general received endorsements from many members of Vermont’s Democratic establishment including former Govs. Madeleine Kunin and Peter Shumlin and former Lt. Gov. Doug Racine.
Since winning the Democratic contest on Aug. 11, Gray has been endorsed by many of the state’s prominent Democratic leaders including U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, Attorney General TJ Donovan, and State Treasurer Beth Pearce.
Gray has also outraised and outspent her opponent throughout the 2020 election cycle.
The assistant attorney general has raised $287,415 while spending $205,837 through the end of August. Milne meanwhile has brought in $90,936 and spent $45,821.
In August, Gray brought in more money than Milne — receiving $74,000 in donations compared to Milne’s roughly $45,000.
Since the most recent campaign finance filing, Milne has begun airing an advertisement on television which highlights his connection with Gov. Phil Scott and his intention to work as an ally in the Legislature for the Republican in the top office.
Outside the venue Thursday, Ralph Corbo, a “Banish The F35s Party” candidate for lieutenant governor, walked on the side of the road with a sign decrying the fact that he had not been invited to take part in the debate.
Corbo said that if he had been invited he would have talked about his policy to stop environmental degradation and move away from pesticide use and large scale agriculture.
