This election cycle, candidates for lieutenant governor have outraised and outspent candidates for every other office in Vermont except that of governor.
But what does a lieutenant governor do, anyway? Keep reading.
THE CHALLENGER
Just East of a pumpkin patch and North of a corn maze a hand written sign sat on a bench outside of a big tent. It read, “Free Beer and Wine Tasting.”
Inside the tent, smooth jazz crooned from a small amplifier, lit up disco style with multicolor LED lights.
This Republican meet and greet was at Sam Mazza’s farm in Colchester. Don Turner, the candidate running for lieutenant governor, was on his fourth campaign event of the day. He was pumped.
“I think we have a real chance,” he said and again, “I think people feel like I -- I got a chance.”
A recent VPR-Vermont-PBS poll has Turner behind his opponent, Progressive/Democrat David Zuckerman, by 17 percent. Still, Turner has outraised, outspent and out lawn-signed his opponent. As of October 15, Turner had raised 50 percent more than Zuckerman, and taken in four times as many donations over $1000.
READ: THE MONEY BEHIND VERMONT'S POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS
At the meet and greet on Sam Mazza’s farm, Turner caught up with two old friends -- Barbara and David Liberty, of Colchester. “Last weekend we went to Bennington, and we counted from Shelburne Road to Bennington 41 signs, three big banners, just on the Route 7 corridor,” Turner gushed, before perseverating for several minutes about how he’d manage to pick up all 4,000 lawn signs his volunteers had distributed.
This is his first time running for statewide office. Turner, who’s known for his earnest affability, is the former fire chief and current town manager of Milton, his hometown. He’s also the long-time minority leader in the House of Representatives. He’s running on the idea that the cost of living in Vermont has become so high, it’s pushing long-time residents out of state. It’s an issue he says voters bring up for him.
“People understand it costs too much to live here,” David Usher told Turner inside the tent at Sam Mazza’s Farm Market, “so I think that’s where your advantage is.”
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Turner said he wants to lower Vermonters’ taxes. He also hopes his campaign will prove to conservatives in the state that “you can win in Vermont, and it’s not so liberal, or so far gone that you can’t do that.”
THE JOB
There are three main components to being the lieutenant governor. Don Turner and his opponent, incumbent Progressive/Democrat David Zuckerman prioritize them differently.
“The lieutenant governor is the governor if the governor is unable to perform his or her duties, so that’s the most important part of it,” Turner said.
Zuckerman listed that duty last. He started with this: “you’re the presiding officer of the Senate, sort of the town moderator of the thirty senators. Who speaks, determining the voting -- so that you know -- if something’s germain or not.”
Vermont’s lieutenant governor also helps make committee assignments and board appointments, and acts as a tie-breaker if the Senate becomes deadlocked.
THE INCUMBENT
After those three requirements, Zuckerman said, the job is what you make it. He’s spent the last two years promoting civic engagement, doing youth-outreach events and hosting documentary movie nights around the state.
As for Don Turner’s campaign to unseat him, Zuckerman said, “it’s been a little nerve wracking for me.”
Zuckerman thinks Democratic donors and volunteers are spread thin in Vermont, with so many viable candidates to support. In the meantime, Zuckerman said, “the reality is there’s one race statewide that Republicans have to focus on,” Zuckerman said, meaning his own race. “Many of the Republicans assume, as many other non-Republicans assume, that Gov. Scott is going to win again."
Zuckerman turned to a recent mass media buy on behalf of Turner and other Republicans from a DC GOP PAC. It was for nearly $200,000. Still, Zuckerman said, he thinks he’ll prevail.
Despite being lieutenant governor and running for reelection, Zuckerman is also a farmer. And he shows up at his CSA distribution centers with regularity.
For hours there, he greets customers by name, muttering numbers aloud as he calculates their credits and debits in his head. Although Zuckerman said he doesn’t bring up politics unless his customers do, the interaction provides valuable facetime for Zuckerman with many potential voters.
On a recent CSA pickup at Temple Sinai in South Burlington, Zuckerman greeted longtime customer and Zuckerman supporter, Sylvia Knight, and and lifted her many bags of produce onto a makeshift checkout counter.
“Definitely I’ll vote for him again,” she said as she left the synagogue, laden with vegetables. “I appreciate his policies, his work as lieutenant governor, trying to bring us more sustainable agriculture, and economy and affordable world for more people.”
In the days before the election, Zuckerman plans to campaign around the state with Sen. Bernie Sanders. Turner will do the same -- with Gov. Phil Scott.
