Republican candidate for governor Scott Milne says the campaign finance filing due from him before 5 p.m. this evening will show he’s raised “a little north of $20,000” toward his effort to unseat Democratic incumbent Peter Shumlin.
Shumlin has yet to reveal how much he’s raised since March 15, the last time candidates for elected office had to disclose how much money they’d raised, and where it came from. But the last filing showed Shumlin sitting on a $1 million war chest, a sum to which he has no doubt added.
"I don't think [voters] like the idea of ... $2 million, $3 million governor campaigns." - GOP gubernatorial candidate Scott Milne
Meanwhile, Republican Lt. Gov. Phil Scott says his filing later today will show that he’s raised about $50,000. Scott has ramped up his fundraising efforts in the face of a challenge from Progressive Dean Corren, who qualified for public financing and will have $200,000 in public money for his campaign.
Milne says he anticipates pundits to interpret his comparatively meager fundraising haul as a sign of political weakness, but the Pomfret resident says they’ll be wrong. Milne said this morning he thinks Vermonters facing difficult economic resent the vast sums spent on campaigns.
“I don’t think they like the idea of, you know, $2 million, $3 million governor campaigns,” Milne said.
Milne has said he expects to raise about $200,000 for the entire campaign. He recently hired a campaign manager, and says he’s planning to announce additional campaign staff soon. He said he expects to launch television commercials “in the next few weeks.” And he says radio – a medium he’s long used to promote his business, Milne Travel – will also play a key role in his messaging.
Milne says he won’t spend any of his own money on his campaign. Shumlin loaned his inaugural gubernatorial campaign in 2010, money his campaign returned to him last year.
“The money that we get, we’ll spend getting out and meeting people and talking … and making sure we understand what people think are exactly the best solutions, and … crafting some answers as we move forward in the campaign,” Milne said.
