Republican Gov. Phil Scott is seeking reelection Tuesday to a fifth term in heavily Democratic Vermont, this time facing off against Esther Charlestin, a Democrat-progressive who is a newcomer to statewide politics.
Vermont has grappled with two consecutive summers of severe flooding, a housing shortage and a rise in people experiencing homelessness, as well as increasing property taxes and concerns about public safety with an increase in gun violence and drug-related crimes.
Scott, a 66-year-old former legislator and business owner, urged voters to pick someone who will work with him to make Vermont more affordable and stop the increasing taxes and fees from the Legislature.
Charlestin, 34, has countered that new leadership is needed and says Vermont is worse off than it was in 2017 when Scott took office. An educator, a consultant and co-chair of the Vermont Commission on Women, and a former member of her town's selectboard, she is a first-generation Haitian American.
Also on the ballot are independents Kevin Hoyt and Eli “Poa” Mutino, and minor party candidate June Goodband.
Scott has clashed with the Democrat-controlled legislature over spending and initiatives, vetoing eight bills this past session. In response, the Legislature overrode six of those vetoes in June.
Scott says he worked to make Vermont more affordable while also investing in housing, public safety, mental health, climate mitigation and other issues.
“Unfortunately over the last two years ... the supermajority in the Legislature has had other ideas, passing an historic double-digit property tax increase, a new payroll tax, a 20% DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) hike, plans to raise your home heating costs and more,” he said at a recent debate hosted by the news outlet VTdigger.
Charlestin has said Scott is wrong to blame the state's current circumstances on legislators who are only in session part-time.
“Is Vermont in a better place than it was eight years ago? When I think of property taxes, health care, housing, affordability, the answer is clear and it's no," she said during the debate. “So after eight years, it's clear that Vermont needs a new direction and one that truly works for all of us, not just those at the top, but also the middle and low income, everybody.”
She has been endorsed by former Gov. Howard Dean, current Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman and Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak.
Scott has been a critic of former President Donald Trump and had endorsed former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley for president in the state’s July primary before she dropped out. He says he was one of the 66% of Vermont voters who cast their ballots in 2020 for President Joe Biden, a Democrat.
Scott has faced pressure this fall from advocates, municipal leaders and lawmakers after new caps imposed by the legislature to scale down the pandemic-era motel voucher program for the most vulnerable people experiencing homelessness took effect. The households will be eligible for motel housing again in the winter starting Dec. 1.
Scott said the caps came from the Legislature in its budget proposal and $10 million was allocated to provide more emergency shelters and the administration doesn’t think that’s enough. He said in October that the state was working to set up three family shelters in Waterbury, Williston and Montpelier, but advocates say the response didn't come soon enough.
Lisa Rathke, The Associated Press
