You might have heard: tonight’s the night. New Jersey’s Governor Chris Christie will be sneaking briefly into our state for a very private fundraising event on behalf of the woefully underfunded Vermont Republican Party. The VTGOP hopes to gross $200,000 to $300,000, which would be a nice first step toward solvency. And would be a marked improvement on their last two high-profile events: last June’s appearance by ex-Sen. Scott Brown, which reportedly lost money (he spoke to “a party of nearly 50,” according to VTDigger), and the 2012 hit-and-run by Maine Gov. Paul LePage, which created more bad headlines than bucks for his host Randy Brock.

Christie will not interact with reporters or any of us Great Unwashed during his brief touchdown; he’ll only rub elbows with paying customers. This was apparently at the Great White’s request:

Though it has been widely reported that the Vermont GOP banned the press, sources say it was the Christie people who insisted on exclusivity for the event.

That, from VTDigger’s Anne Galloway, who then goes on to recount some of Christie’s abundant run-ins with his home state’s media. (She also informs us that former Burlington City Councilor Ed Adrian will be attending, and will be live-Tweeting the Christie speech. @CounselorAdrian or hashtag #gccvt, for those interested.)

Okay, here I am in paragraph 5 and that’s not what I planned to write about.

What I want to say is this: we in Vermont have our very own Chris Christie, and he’s the one and only Republican currently on the scene who (I think) has a chance to be Governor someday.

It’s not Lt. Gov. Phil Scott, nor is it Brian Dubie or Wendy WIlton or even Bruce Lisman.

It’s Thom Lauzon, Republican Mayor of Barre.  

I don’t expect him to run in 2014 or even 2016 because, well, he’s a max donor to the Shumlin campaign. But when Shumlin runs for Senate or simply gets tired of being Governor — say, maybe in 2018 after the projected implementation of Shumlin’s lodestar, single-payer health care — it just might be Lauzon Time.

I call him “our Chris Christie” because, well, obviously, he has a temper. But he also shares with Christie a willingness to leverage the power and resources of government for the sake of his constituency. Which implies an acceptance of government as a force for good that’s uncommon in today’s GOP. And that makes him, relatively speaking, a moderate.

Like him or not, Thom Lauzon has done a whole lot of good for Barre. He’s made more progress than anybody else in that long-benighted city. He’s done far better than anyone in Rutland or Saint Johnsbury, for sure.

As one of the city’s major real-estate holders, Lauzon has certainly profited from Barre’s rebound. But so has the entire community.

I’m not endorsing everything he’s done, nor am I saying I’d vote for him. But he has established a track record of success that’s unmatched in the VTGOP. He’s crafted a moderate, can-do profile that’s the party’s best chance to grow beyond its base. On the other hand, his tough-guy persona should help him connect with hard-core Republicans.

Chris Christie has enjoyed great success in an otherwise solidly blue state, in spite of his temper and his raw conservatism on many issues, by “getting things done.” Thom Lauzon has the same sort of profile. I have no idea if he’s interested in statewide office; but if he is, I believe he’s the VTGOP’s best hope for someday reclaiming the governorship.