
Of the 424 candidates competing in Vermont's general election next week, most are relying on handshakes and conversations with their neighbors — not huge sums of campaign cash.
Even some running for statewide office are spending comparatively little. Democratic Secretary of State Jim Condos, for instance, has raised just $9,665 in the past two years.
But not all candidate coffers are created equal.
Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin has collected more than $777,000 this cycle — five times as much as his next closest competitor, Republican Scott Milne. And Vermont's three Congressional delegates — Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) — have each brought in more than $1 million through their various fundraising entities. No matter that, of the trio, only Welch is on the ballot this fall.
So where does all the money go? For Shumlin, nearly $412,000 of it has gone to television advertising. Others, such as Progressive/Democrat Dean Corren, have spread the wealth through other forms of advertising: on the internet, the sides of buses and even — gasp! — in print newspapers like the one you're reading.
While most candidates for the Vermont Senate have raised less than $10,000 to finance their campaigns, five have collected more than $20,000. The biggest fundraiser of the lot? Chittenden County Republican hopeful Joy Limoge, who has raised nearly $33,700.
Not all the money flows through candidate accounts. The Vermont Democratic Party spent nearly $1 million by October 15. The Vermont GOP spent half that, while the Vermont Progressive Party trailed with $101,000.
Political action committees remain a potent force in Vermont. Big spenders include groups representing real estate agents, teachers and gun control advocates. Eclipsing all of them has been the Republican State Leadership Committee, a Washington, D.C., outfit that has pumped more than $335,000 into Vermont races in the past three weeks.
Here's more on this year's political races, by the numbers.




Comments
Comments are closed.
Since 2014, Seven Days has allowed readers to comment on all stories posted on our website. While we’ve appreciated the suggestions and insights, the time has come to shut them down — at least temporarily.
While we champion free speech, facts are a matter of life and death during the coronavirus pandemic, and right now Seven Days is prioritizing the production of responsible journalism over moderating online debates between readers.
To criticize, correct or praise our reporting, please send us a letter to the editor. Or send us a tip. We’ll check it out and report the results.
Online comments may return when we have better tech tools for managing them. Thanks for reading.