Vermonters apparently aren鈥檛 the only ones interested in the outcome of this year鈥檚 race for governor. The has already poured more than $600,000 into the contest, and it鈥檚 likely just the beginning of what could be record spending by outside groups in a Vermont election.
The latest political ad to hit Vermont鈥檚 airwaves features a voice that is by now familiar to most voters here.
鈥淔olks are struggling,鈥� the narrator says. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e working two and three jobs trying to get by. What we need to do is focus on the economy. And we鈥檙e not in this alone, we can do it together.鈥�
But the narrator 鈥� Republican candidate for governor Phil Scott 鈥� didn鈥檛 pay for that ad, nor did his campaign. That distinction belongs to 鈥淎 Stronger Vermont,鈥� the super PAC registered here by the Republican Governors Association earlier this year.
It鈥檚 been less than a month since Scott won his party鈥檚 nomination. But the Washington, D.C.-based political organization has already poured $600,000 into the race, most of it to produce and air advertisements like the one that debuted Tuesday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5VD1X07OuU&feature=youtu.be
Denise Roth Barber is managing director of the , better known as followthemoney.org. Barber says these kinds of expenditures are standard practice for groups like the RGA.
鈥淭hey鈥檒l come in, they鈥檒l select races that they deem competitive,鈥� Roth Barber says.
What isn鈥檛 standard, for Vermont at least, is the size of the investment the RGA has made. In 2010, the last time this state featured an open seat for governor, the RGA spent a total of $755,000. They鈥檝e nearly matched that sum already, and Election Day is still two months away.
The has so far spent a comparatively measly $100,000 in support of Sue Minter. But Sterling Clifford, the treasurer of the super PAC the DGA set up here, says people can expect to see that figure rise considerably before too long.
鈥淲e鈥檙e absolutely committed to making a significant investment in support of Sue Minter for governor,鈥� Clifford says.
The RGA did not return repeated requests for an interview.
Roth Barber says there鈥檚 a reason these state-level races are so attractive to outside groups.
鈥淪tate races are by comparison to federal races, much cheaper, and so dollars go a long way,鈥� Roth Barber says. 鈥淚f enough money is spent, they definitely have a larger voice during the election process.鈥�
It鈥檚 been six years since the U.S. Supreme Court issued the Citizens United decision that ushered in the era of unlimited political spending by outside groups. But it鈥檚 still unclear what kind of impact that spending has on the outcome of races. Also unclear, according to Roth Barber, is how outside spending influences the candidates that benefit from it.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the $1 million quid pro quo question 鈥� whether the money provided during an election has an impact on these lawmakers鈥� policies,鈥� Roth Barber says.
"That's the $1 million quid pro quo question 鈥� whether the money provided during an election has an impact on these lawmakers' policies." 鈥� Denise Roth Barber, managing director of the National Institute for Money in State Politics
The amount spent by the RGA so far rivals the sum raised by Phil Scott himself. The RGA鈥檚 financial resources come from a range of well-heeled contributors, Koch Industries being the highest among them.
But the RGA and the DGA have plenty of overlap when it comes to where their financial support comes from. Eight of the top 20 donors to the RGA this cycle are also among the top 20 givers to the DGA. They include the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers of America, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Travelers insurance companies, and Wal-Mart.
鈥淵ou know, when companies contribute and get engaged with political spending, they are definitely doing so as an investment in their company鈥檚 interest,鈥� Roth Barber says.
She says that investment pays off in one notable form.
鈥淭hey want to be able to talk to whoever wins after Election Day,鈥� she says.
The RGA and the DGA will both be spending heavily over the next eight weeks to make sure it鈥檚 their candidate those companies will be talking to.
Federal elections law prohibits super PACs from coordinating with the candidates they鈥檙e trying to elect to office. The RGA鈥檚 ads feature extensive audio and video footage of Scott on the campaign trail.
Scott鈥檚 campaign manager Brittney Wilson says no one working with the campaign provided the material.
鈥淚n no way is there way is there any coordination, and it鈥檚 something that we take very seriously,鈥� Wilson says.
