Shumlin stays hot, Racine turns it up to 10, and Dunne moves front and center. All told, most of the candidates really kick it all up a notch or two.
Peter Shumlin. Shumlin’s still hot, again to large extent thanks to Vermont Yankee’s continuing troubles and his strong association with the issue. But he’s also got his email list running, is growing his Facebook contacts, and is actively campaigning (when I called him about another issue over the weekend, I caught him shaking hands on a Middlebury street corner alongside Elizabeth Ready en route to an evening fundraiser). In the news, looking more gubernatorial than Douglas (and Dubie), raising money, campaigning. Check, check, check and check.
Doug Racine‘s been all over the place this past week. In the news on health care, but also hitting the Governor strongly on his budget cutting proposals insofar as they impact those who can least afford it, and taking advantage of the greater campaign flexibility his position affords him on as compared to Senate Prez Shumlin. Capping off the week with the high profile campaign event Sue reports on below makes for an explosive week for the former Lietenant Governor. It’s unclear how much money is coming in these days for the Chittenden Senator, as his ActBlue meter hasn’t shown much life lately, but there’s little doubt his kickoff event garnered him some campaign cash. All told, as good a week as a candidate can have at this still-early stage.
Matt Dunne. I thought he might bump up another notch this week, but Dunne comes on even stronger as his statewide momentum has even started to breach the legislature-centric Montpelier bubble. Dunne has not only assembled an impressive collection of advisers, he is also bringing on staff and reportedly already has six figures in the bank, despite his late entry. Dunne also entered the Montpelier arena literally as well as figuratively with a media event focused on Vermont Yankee. As such he is the only other Democratic gubernatorial pretender making any real effort to actively share the issue with Senator Shumlin.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; Dems tend to fall into one of two categories regarding Dunne – those who really like him a lot, and those who refuse to accept just how many other Dems really like him a lot. It’s starting to dawn on the latter group that the former Vermont State Senator and House Whip is going to be very much a factor in this primary.
Susan Bartlett. Bartlett’s getting a little buzz in the sense that more folks are accepting her as a legitimate candidate as opposed to wondering why the state Senator – who has never before appeared on a statewide ballot – would jump in to such a high profile race for the top job. Her attempts to stake out the fiscally conservative Democratic turf seem to be paying some dividents, and readers of the this site will note a few diaries down that she even took that message here to GMD – hardly a receptive crowd ideologically. Props for chutzpah. That combined with my encountering my first couple people that have indicated to me their intent to vote for her in the primary makes for a little extra mojo.
Deb Markowitz. Starting to get some negative feedback on Markowitz for her mixed signals on state issues (she reportedly exited quickly after the Governor’s budget address and managed to avoid the press). She continues to be the most relentless fundraiser, but that too is starting to weary folks. There’s clearly a real desire to see her dive more clearly and definitively into Vermont issues. She does get out press releases about “safe” national issues, such as the recent SCOTUS decision, but the muttering-for-more has definitely increased this week, at least insomuch as what I’m hearing. Without any good media or events to counter, it means she drops another mojo point for the week, although I have no doubt there are some significant moves from this campaign to be seen some time from now, particularly in the realm of media buys. My gut tells me Markowitz is going to have a very paid-media-heavy campaign.
Brian Dubie. I got nuthin on the Dubester this week. The movements of Republicans are often unclear to me, although there are still mutterings about possible primary challenges from more doctrinaire and/or marketable GOPers. Heard Randy Brock’s name again. Whether its a name being floated with his approval or awareness is debatable. I’d bet no, and that its just another sympton of old-guard Republican ambivalence towards their anointed one.