Well, the filing deadline has come and gone. And while the Democrats have a ticket full of strong incumbents and worthy contenders — and the Progressives have put together some good quality folks in their bid to maintain ballot status — the Republicans find themselves in a truly dire state.
The topline from deadline day: no heroes came rushing over the hill to save the VTGOP. They’re largely stuck with an array of has-beens and never-wases. Plus Lt. Gov. Phil Scott, by far the best candidate of the lot. And he’s running for a ceremonial office.
Starting at the top: Randy Brock, on the short end of a 2-1 disadvantage in the latest poll with very few undecideds to work with.
Lieutenant Governor: Phil Scott, already discussed.
US Senator: Who-dats John MacGovern and H. Brook Paige will face off in the Republican primary for the right to lose big-time to Bernie Sanders.
US Representative: Who-dat Mark Donka will be Peter Welch’s designated tomato can.
After the jump: a notable vacancy on the ticket, and a gloomy outlook for the VTGOP.
Secretary of State: the most laughable development of the day. No Republican filed petitions. There’s talk of finding a write-in candidate down the road. Why bother?
Attorney General: Yes indeedy, Jack McMullen is coming back for another attempt to avoid electoral embarrassment. The guy who lost to Fred Tuttle, the businessman with a law degree who’s never actually practiced law, wants to be the state’s top lawyer. McMullen’s only advantage is that he can fully fund his own campaign, should he wish to.
Auditor: State Sen. Vince Illuzzi.
Treasurer: Wendy Wilton, Rutland treasurer best known for her highly partisan and inaccurate “study” of Governor Shumlin’s health care plan. Even though Beth Pearce is an untested politician, she does have the advantage of the incumbent label, and that’s a big deal in these low-profile races. (Just ask Tom Salmon.)
The way it looks right now, Phil Scott is the only Republican who’d be the favorite in any of these races. Illuzzi might have an edge in name recognition over Doug Hoffer — but even that is debatable, since he’s never run for office outside his home county, and Hoffer has some familiarity from his 2010 candidacy.
A ticket this weak is going to make it even harder for Republicans to gain any ground in the State Legislature. Which, I guess, is why chief House Republican Don Turner has openly confessed that he doesn’t expect to gain ground in legislative elections this year.
One other thing I’ll point out here: the two strongest (relatively speaking) Republican candidates, Scott and Illuzzi, are ideological outliers in an increasingly doctrinaire party. Scott tries his best to maintain a moderate image; he might be secretly conservative, but he sure doesn’t play that way in public. And I doubt that he’s going to pay any visible obeisance to the hard-right tenor of 2012’s VTGOP.
And even as he filed as a Republican, Illuzzi was openly courting moderate and Democratic support. He talked at length to VTDigger about how difficult it was to decide whether to run as a Republican or an Independent. He actively distanced himself from the “very conservative individuals” who represent his party in Congress, and added “I am not one of those Republicans.”
Personally, I think the VTGOP is making a huge mistake by tacking hard right, when the Vermont electorate is clearly moderate-to-liberal. If Scott is the only winner — or if Scott and Illuzzi are the only winners — then where will the party go from there? Can it continue to embrace Paul Ryan Republicanism when its only high-profile figure (or two) is visibly moderate?
In any case, deadline day was nothing but good news for Vermont Democrats, who are well-positioned to cement their dominance of state politics in November.
seems to want an extra day to disclose who my senator and rep may be in the future… dang/
If the candidate list that Vt Digger published from Condos is accurate, they did a really poor recruitment job for legislative seats too.
According to that list, Republicans have only filed 17 candidates for the 30 State Senate seats, and 55 candidates for the 150 member state legislature.
(I suspect that there are some holes in that list, but even considering that, it seems a pretty poor job of legislative recruitment for the Republicans…)
As Sec of State, I want to respond to Inigma’s comment.
The SoS office receives and confirms the statewide candidates only – so we can say who is in or not relatively quick.
Vermont’s hard-working Representative and Senate District clerks receive the Rep and Senate consent forms/petitions, then fax the consent forms to our office. Sometimes this does not happen until the next day.
My Elections team worked late last nite, and will be wotking on Saturday to complete our work – we hope to have the full mslate of candidates up on the Elections website by sometime Saturday afternoon (altho’ it might possibly be Monday at the latest.
Yesterday (June 14) we did send out a list to all media at about 615p saying this was unofficial.
JVW misses the point so totally! What is pathetic is that the voters in Vermont are so disengaged and disinterested in the future of our State that they have become “Serial Democrats”. The Democrats in short order will bankrupt our State through mismanagement and uncontrolled governmental largess – then we’ll see who has delivered the sadness!
JVW calls the Republican Slate “a sad excuse” rather than applauding the brave souls who have stepped up and decided to sacrifice a half year of their lives in an effort to convince the voters of this great State to choose them to (attempt to) navigate our “Ship of State” away from the dangerous shoals ahead.
I understand that I (or John MacGovern) have only a slight chance of overcoming the “good old Bernie” mystique that has Vermonters so spellbound that they cannot envision Mr. Sanders having to run for office. Think that I’m kidding read on! When I was out on my petition drive, I was visiting the East Barre Antique Mall (petition clipboard in hand)and approached one of the dealers, asking her to sign my petition. When I had explained who I was and that I was hoping to run against “Bernie”, she exclaimed : “Oh! I cannot sign that, I’m a big “Bernie” fan; IN FACT I DON’T THINK BERNIE SHOULD HAVE TO RUN!” If I had hired professional political consultants and paid them lots of $$$, I could not have been handed a more insightful analysis. I asked her “what are you saying, do you think that come election time that we should just have a re-coronation ceremony and let it go at that?” The nice lady just stared at me dumbfounded – I thanked her for her consideration and moved on. I guess JVW is in the “re-coronation” camp!
I understand that if $$$ won elections, Bernie has it “in the bag”! But the Hollywood and Washington elites don’t get to go into the election booth and make the decision for Vermont.Fortunately, Real Vermonters do! So my assignment is to unmask the reality of the magician’s illusion – where “Bernie” corrals Federal dollars to buy the new Senior Citizen Van or a few bucks to help keep the local library open – waves his magic wand and convinces the audience that HE came up with the money out of his personal “stash”. He’s the master of illusion and misdirection – he spends my money and your money and then convinces his sycophants that it was his money all along!
As a last thought on the “Bernie Thing”, I noticed that the Democrats failed to find a single candidate to run for U.S. Senator. Oh that’s right, Mr. Socialist is an Independent In Name Only (IINO – pronounced “I-know”)- voting with the Democrats MORE than any actual Democrat.
Reflecting on all of the Republicans running this season, I think that Randy (Brock) is the best Republican to unseat the morally challenged Mr. Shumlin (except, perhaps the legendary rock-ribbed Jim Douglas – who would still be Governor today had he not become so disguised with having to confront and combat the Democratic Party horde that descended upon Montpelier each spring!) Randy’s experience as a Businessman, Financier and Veteran should trump Pete’s experience as Tour Guide Operator any day of the week – except here in “OZ”! I cannot wait for the debates between Randy and Pete – then we’ll see who is fiscally, factually and managerially challenged! Pete’s only hope is that he can somehow weasel Randy into the same “got-‘ya” moment that he pulled to “best” Brian in the last election. Randy is older, wiser and quicker on his feet. So keep upping those odds and give me a call, I’ve got a few $$$ looking for a sure bet – RANDY BROCK!
As far as the down ticket Republicans, God love them! It takes a special person to throw their hat in the ring here in northern Massachusetts. These concerned Republicans aren’t doing this for the excitement of Political Humiliation – each of us are horrified with the “Road to Perdition” we find our State and Nation traveling on and are prayerful that with a little divine intervention that we can make a difference for their families, friends, neighbors and fellow Vermonters.
So keep mocking and dismissing us Republicans as “sad sacks”, we’ll maintain our resolve – no matter what you think you are observing from Mt. Burlington. An objective observer might well view us as “the last chance candidates”, Vermont’s last chance for salvation from the Democratic Hell that continues to flourish in both Montpelier and Washington.
H. Brooke Paige
Republican Candidate for U.S. Senate – Vermont
I welcome you Observations and Comments
You can find me at:
H. Brooke Paige
P.O. Box #41
Washington, Vermont 05675
H: 1-802-883-2320
C: 1-802-224-6076
e-mail at: donnap@sover.net
on the web at: http://www.brookepaige.us
HELP IS ON THE WAY !
Republican’s the Last Best Chance for Vermont and America!