Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, the Democrat/Progressive, continues to lead Republican Gov. Phil Scott in fundraising in the gubernatorial race, according to the last campaign finance disclosures before Tuesday’s election.
In the lieutenant governor’s race, Republican Scott Milne gained an edge over Democrat Molly Gray after he poured $140,000 of his own money into the race in late October.
Here is a rundown of the last campaign finance filing before voters go to the polls on Tuesday.
Since the previous campaign finance deadline on Oct. 15, Zuckerman raised about $55,000, bringing his total to $686,000. He’s spent all but $1,000 of that.
Scott raised $95,000 since the last deadline, for a total of $477,000. He has spent $307,000.
Since he launched his campaign at the beginning of the year, Zuckerman has received donations from 6,411 contributors; Scott has received contributions from 1,344.
In the final weeks of the election, Scott received maximum donations of $4,160 from the Vermont Association of Realtors and from Shining City Upon a Hill Inc., a political action committee that previously supported Bill Weld, a former governor of Massachusetts who ran against President Donald Trump in the Republican primary.
Scott’s donors also include the Beverage Association of Vermont, which gave him $1,250; St. Johnsbury Subaru contributed $4,160. Another group, Politically Active Contractors of VT, gave Scott $4,000. Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Anson Tebbetts donated $500 to Scott, and Neale Lunderville, the CEO of Vermont Gas, contributed $1,000.
Scott also received several donations from corporations outside Vermont. Lyft, the national rideshare company, donated $1,000 to Scott’s campaign, and the tobacco giant Altria Client Services LLC gave $2,000. Phrma, a trade group representing pharmaceutical companies, gave the governor $1,000 and Astellas Pharma U.S. Inc., a U.S. division of a Japanese pharmaceutical company, donated $1,000.
Zuckerman received the maximum donation of $4,160 from the American Federation of Teachers, a teachers union. The Vermont Political Awareness Committee, a PAC that belongs to the VSEA, a state employees union, gave Zuckerman $500. Progressive Voters of America, a Burlington-based PAC, gave Zuckerman $2,500.
Zuckerman spent nearly $55,000 on television advertisements in the last two weeks, and about $5,000 on radio ads.
Scott spent about $12,000 on online advertising in late October, and about $2,000 on advertisements in newspapers, but did not pay for television advertising.
Lieutenant governor’s race
In the lieutenant governor’s race, Milne leads Gray in overall fundraising — he has raised $452,000 and spent $444,000. Milne has infused his campaign with $287,000 in personal funds, including $140,000 on Oct. 20 and 21.
He also received $14,000 from other donors since the last campaign finance deadline.
Since Gray announced her run, she has raised $427,000 and spent $360,000. She has brought in $30,000 in the last two weeks.
In total, Gray has received donations from 1,927 individuals; Milne has donations from 607.
In the last days of the election, both candidates have been spending on television advertisements. Since the last campaign finance deadline, Milne spent $138,000 on television, Gray $32,000.
Milne recently received donations of $1,000 from Pleasant Valley Farms in Richford, $1,000 from Burlington property management company Bissonette Properties, and $250 from the Vermont Auto Dealers Association which gave $250.
Gray’s recent donors include Burlington real estate developer Ernie Pomerleau, who has given her $2,000 this year, and Emily’s List, a national organization that supports female Democratic candidates, which also gave her $2,000. Politically Active Contractors gave her $525.
