Got this note from John Bauer, Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor:

Today the Vermont Democratic Party’s State Committee voted to formally endorse my campaign for Lt. Governor. I am honored and delighted to receive the overwhelming support of representatives from every county in the state

I ask that democrats across Vermont join with the woman surviving on Social Security who contributed $5, with the retiree working part-time who gave $10, and the musician who could only afford a dollar to help me qualify for public financing by June 12.

To be honest, the Dems had spent a fair bit of time casting about for an alternative to Bauer without success. I think they were hoping to find a female candidate with a higher political profile (Sue Minter’s name was tossed around, but she decided to keep her cabinet post); but the party could certainly do worse than Bauer. He’ll be an energetic, articulate opponent for Phil Scott. He’ll do his best to make Scott actually articulate some actual positions. And, win or lose, he’ll get some good ideas into the policy debate.  

I hope the party nod will give Bauer a big boost toward qualifying for public financing. Those funds would be crucial in mounting a credible campaign. And, as I wrote before, I’d just like to see public financing become a credible option for candidates.

It’s also nice to see the state committee endorse a decidedly liberal (or even small-P progressive, a word Bauer uses to describe himself) candidate.