Gov. Peter Shumlin’s first two TV campaign ads surfaced online today. The videos reiterate the key phrase in the governor’s stump speech that he’s gotten “tough things done” in his first term.
In the first ad, Shumlin addresses the camera directly, touting his creation of “thousands” of jobs, his efforts on health care reform, and his efficient response to Tropical Storm Irene.
Shumlin says he’s done it all without raising broad-based taxes, i.e., income, capital gains, and sales and use taxes.
In the second ad, Republican Barre Mayor Thom Lauzon and independent Rutland Mayor Chris Louras praise Shumlin’s leadership, saying it “made a difference” when their cities were hurt by flood damage in 2011.
Lauzon, who has consciously crossed party lines to support Shumlin, said, “Peter may be a Democrat, but no one works harder to get tough things done for Vermont.” Lauzon pulled together seven of the state’s eight mayors to formally endorse Shumlin late last month.
State records indicate that Shumlin paid $125,000 for the ads on Monday. He hired Virginia firm Media Strategies and Research to make the media buy.
With 19 days left until the Nov. 6 election, former lieutenant governor candidate Mark Snelling also bought $30,000 worth of new ads for Randy Brock’s campaign, two days ago.
A recent VTDigger analysis found that statewide Republican candidates and their supporters have outspent their Democratic opponents tenfold in this election season, as of the latest campaign finance reports.
In a campaign email, Shumlin campaign manager Alex MacLean says the Stowe Reporter endorsed Shumlin in an editorial, and is apparently the first newspaper to endorse in the gubernatorial race thus far.
Read VTDigger’s side-by-side comparison of the governor candidates.
