With less than three weeks until the November general election, Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman leads Gov. Phil Scott in overall fundraising in the gubernatorial race, while Assistant Attorney General Molly Gray leads Scott Milne in the lieutenant governor’s race.
Since the beginning of the year, Zuckerman, a Progressive/Democrat, has brought in $631,000, and spent $599,000 of his campaign funds. In the two weeks since the last campaign finance filing deadline, he has raised $63,000. Overall, Zuckerman has received donations from 5,234 contributors, the latest campaign finance filings show.
Scott, the Republican incumbent, has raised $44,000 since Oct. 1, and $381,000 overall. He has spent about $275,000 this election cycle, but also has a surplus of $106,000 left over from his last campaign. In total, Scott has received donations from a total of 1,141 contributors this election cycle.
Zuckerman has spent about $45,000 on television advertisements since Oct. 1, while the Scott campaign has yet to pay for television advertisements this year. However, in recent weeks, Scott has spent about $5,000 on advertisements in local newspapers around the state.
Zuckerman’s latest donors include Jeff Weaver, who has served as an adviser to Sen. Bernie Sanders, and has given the lieutenant governor a total of $1,050 this year. Vermont Democratic donor Jane Stetson gave him $500, and the Vermont Progressive Party donated $5,000, bringing its total contribution to Zuckerman to $13,000 this year.
The Vermont Conservation Voters, through a PAC, gave Zuckerman $3,160.
In the last two weeks, Scott has received donations from Casella Waste Systems, the Rutland-based waste management company, which gave the governor $3,560.
D & C transportation, a fuel transportation company based in Orleans, has given Scott $4,000 this campaign cycle, the latest filings show. Joe Flynn, the secretary of Vermont’s Agency of Transportation, gave Scott $500.
Lieutenant governor’s race
In the lieutenant governor’s race, Gray, a Democrat, has raised $397,000 from 1,836 contributors, including $44,000 in the last two weeks. She has spent $309,000 so far.
Milne, a Republican and businessman, has raised $298,000 from 566 contributors and spent $283,000 so far. In the last two weeks, he raised $82,000. About half of Milne’s campaign dollars come from his personal funds. Milne has spent $147,000 of his own money on his campaign, including about $49,000 in the last two weeks.
In the last two weeks, both candidates have ramped up spending on television. Gray spent $37,000 on television advertising in the first two weeks of October, while Milne spent $79,000 on TV ads.
Milne launched an ad earlier this month touting his plan to boost jobs, and make Vermont more affordable. He also released an ad with a Democratic voter stating that she would vote for Milne because he has a “plan to bring back jobs” and voted against President Donald Trump.
In another ad featured on social media in recent days, the same voter criticizes Gray’s voting record, which Milne has frequently brought up on the campaign trail.
Gray released an ad earlier this month touting her resume and biography. It features Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and his wife Marcelle and her father, who owns a farm in Newbury, where Gray grew up.
Gray’s recent donors, former Democratic House Speakers Shap Smith and Gaye Symington, have given $500 and $350 this year, respectively.
Democratic Burlington City Councilor Joan Shannon gave Gray $561.
Luke Albee, a former chief of staff for Leahy who has consulted for the campaign, has given Gray $1,950.
Reps. Tim Briglin and Jim Maslund, who are both from Thetford, gave Gray $2,000 and $900, respectively.
The Vermont Association of Realtors, which endorsed Milne this week, has donated the maximum amount, $4,160, to Milne’s campaign.
Casella Waste Systems gave Milne $2,000.
The Railroad Association of Vermont and the Clarendon & Pittsford Railroad Company each donated $500 to Milne’s campaign, the latest filings show.
