Vermont Megathread

[KaiserDave]

Senator Mazza's resignation was expecting, he has not been at work since February and has been suffering from pancreatic cancer. A great character for certain.

[KaiserDave]

https://www.wcax.com/2024/04/26/howard-dean-reportedly-exploring-2nd-bid-vt-governor/

Howard Dean exploring 2nd bit for Governor. I've heard this rumor via a friend as well. Unbelievable if true. Probably the one man who could beat Phil Scott other than Sanders or Welch. I can't really believe it.

[KaiserDave]

https://www.wcax.com/2024/04/26/howard-dean-reportedly-exploring-2nd-bid-vt-governor/

Howard Dean exploring 2nd bit for Governor. I've heard this rumor via a friend as well. Unbelievable if true. Probably the one man who could beat Phil Scott other than Sanders or Welch. I can't really believe it.

Why would he do this, it's really a weird time for him to come out of retirement. Endorsed though, I guess.

This is the scene in the movie when the old retired hero puts on his armor for one last ride against seemingly insurmountable odds.

[KaiserDave]

Not only does Dean have strong credentials to attack Scott on healthcare, his gubernatorial term was fiscally quite hawkish, it’ll be hard for Scott to attack him.

[KaiserDave]

https://www.wcax.com/2024/04/26/howard-dean-reportedly-exploring-2nd-bid-vt-governor/

Howard Dean exploring 2nd bit for Governor. I've heard this rumor via a friend as well. Unbelievable if true. Probably the one man who could beat Phil Scott other than Sanders or Welch. I can't really believe it.

Dude is long gone and I doubt he's going to stand a chance against Scott. Without Scott, Dems are highly likely to pick up this seat regardless of the candidate.

Scott definitely is favored in any matchup, but Dean absolutely would have a chance to win. Dean's credibility makes the race relevant just by his candidacy. If Dean is the candidate, a blowout is out of the question. If Scott doesn't run then yes, easy flip, but he'll run.

[KaiserDave]

Dean can really twist the knife on education, this Saunders appointment has been a disaster, and I think Jason Gibbs has really overplayed his hand here.

[KaiserDave]

Dean can really twist the knife on education, this Saunders appointment has been a disaster, and I think Jason Gibbs has really overplayed his hand here.

Maybe they got their committee member early on and didn't bother to take the temperature further? It's their biggest blunder in a long time. Education can't be treated as a low priority when people are apoplectic about their property taxes.

I think this entire debacle might be the greatest unforced error of the administration in 8 years.

[KaiserDave]

Poor Senator Mazza.

[KaiserDave]

Is Phil Scott going to run again?

He just announced he is.

[KaiserDave]

For the source:
https://vtdigger.org/2024/05/11/phil-scott-to-seek-5th-term-as-governor/

Unless Dean is his opponent, I genuinely think Scott might win every precinct.

Scott did not win every precinct in 2022, and he will not do better than he did then. He is not winning the Old North End of Burlington, no matter what he does.

[KaiserDave]

For the source:
https://vtdigger.org/2024/05/11/phil-scott-to-seek-5th-term-as-governor/

Unless Dean is his opponent, I genuinely think Scott might win every precinct.

Scott did not win every precinct in 2022, and he will not do better than he did then. He is not winning the Old North End of Burlington, no matter what he does.

They were all under 60%, that's definitely flippable. Admittedly, it is an election year this time, but it still wouldn't be the most surprising thing.

It is very hard to imagine Scott over performing 2022, even if Dean doesn't run.

[KaiserDave]

The Deputy Mayor of Winooski is running for Lt. Governor, challenging Zuckerman. I couldn't tell you why, maybe Democrats want Zuckerman gone?

[KaiserDave]

The Deputy Mayor of Winooski is running for Lt. Governor, challenging Zuckerman. I couldn't tell you why, maybe Democrats want Zuckerman gone?

Isn’t Zuckerman anti-vax?

No, not in any meaningful sense anyway. He’s recanted his pas vaccine hesitancy from years ago and even back then supported vaccine mandates. This talking point has kind of gone through a pretty ridiculous game of telephone to the point some people are under the impression he was railing against the covid vaccine or something.

This. He’s not anti-vax, to call him that makes the term meaningless. I have personally spoken to him on the subject, my interpretation is that he harbored some hippie-dippy views about vaccinations around 20 years ago but in no way does he have any meaningfully anti-vaccination views today. He is vaccinated (COVID, MMR, etc.), his children are vaccinated.

[KaiserDave]

The Deputy Mayor of Winooski is running for Lt. Governor, challenging Zuckerman. I couldn't tell you why, maybe Democrats want Zuckerman gone?

What does tolerating Zuckerman do for them? He's a wildcard and not particularly popular. I've only heard of this guy once before, but he seems promising, young, and reliable.

On another note, I'm always confused when I see media outlets describing it as a "mostly symbolic" role, which seems to be rote in articles describing the office. The Committee on Committees is a huge deal, especially as state politics get more adversarial. On top of which, it's already getting a bit of a shake-up this year with Mazza's departure. That gives Democrats a big incentive to want someone who is more in their corner in the spot.

Renner is very popular in young VTDP circles in Chittenden County. If he can run a strong statewide campaign Zuckerman is beatable. After all, he only defeated Kitty Toll by a negligible margin, and Renner has a far more densely-populated geographic base than Toll.

[KaiserDave]

https://vtdigger.org/2024/05/20/howard-dean-will-not-run-for-governor-of-vermont/

Whelp

[KaiserDave]

Mayor Weinberger also not running. Philslide inbound.

[KaiserDave]

I want to see Ethan Sonneborn run just because why not

Ethan is in college in Washington D.C., leave him be.

In other news

https://vtdigger.org/2024/05/28/phil-scott-allows-ghost-guns-union-organizing-bills-to-become-law-without-his-signature/

Governor Scott allowed the VT PRO Act (which is similar to the national proposal) and the ban on ghost guns to become law without his signature.

I am surprised, seems like somewhat of a left-wing tact. For all the noise and fury, maybe his position this session is less right of center than I thought.

[KaiserDave]

In a move that will surely annoy the Burlington Progs left wing, Stanak keeps Murad as Police Chief.


https://vtdigger.org/2024/05/31/burlington-mayor-emma-mulvaney-stanak-reappoints-jon-murad-as-police-chief/