Progressive state Sen. Anthony Pollina may run for governor against the Democratic nominee
Until recently, it looked like Vermont Republicans were the ones who needed to worry about a third-party candidate costing them a win in next year's open gubernatorial contest. Wealthy conservative Bruce Lisman flirted with running as either a Republican or an independent, and he could have definitely done some real damage to Team Red's eventual nominee. However, Senate Minority Leader Joe Benning says that Lisman recently contacted him to tell him he's
running as a Republican.
Lisman hasn't confirmed his plans yet, but an unnamed source tells Vermont Public Radio that he'll announce his candidacy on Tuesday. The GOP establishment has been pushing Lt. Gov. Phil Scott to run and Scott seems to be leaning in that direction, so we could see a rare competitive statewide GOP primary here.
However, the left may not be so unified next November. The Vermont Progressive Party often allies with the Democrats, and they didn't run a candidate during the last three gubernatorial elections. But the Progressive's party chair Emma Mulvaney-Stanak tells the National Journal that they're looking to field their own candidate next year. While Mulvaney-Stanak said their decision would depend on how the Democratic field looks, she's not happy with either state House Speaker Shap Smith or his likely primary opponent ex-state Sen. Matt Dunne. State Transportation Secretary Sue Minter is still considering a bid and she does have good connections to liberal groups (Mulvaney-Stanak doesn't appear to have mentioned Minter).
Mulvaney-Stanak also says that state Sen. Anthony Pollina is considering running as a Progressive next November. Pollina ran in 2008 and took more votes than the Democratic nominee, though GOP incumbent Jim Douglas won with 53 percent. Pollina has since been elected on a Democratic-Progressive fusion ticket (Vermont law allows candidates to run for and accept multiple party nominations) and he did make noises about running even before Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin announced his retirement. However, Pollina said back in June that he wanted the Progressives to run a candidate in the Democratic primary, and it's unclear if he's changed his mind and decided it would be better to go it alone. But if Pollina declines to go for it, the Progressives don't have many other options.