So, finally, we get our second window into the money game behind the primary campaigns. A few toplines:
— Bruce Lisman is spending gobs of cash and getting bupkis in return
— Phil Scott’s chugging along; will have to pick up the pace after the primary
— Sue Minter pulls ahead in the Democratic fundraising game
— Matt Dunne’s early momentum slows a bit
— Peter Galbraith is keeping his own campaign alive. Barely
And now, the details.
Wall Street millionaire Bruce Lisman has put $1.6 million of his own money into his campaign, raised precious little money from others, and has been spending at a blistering pace. He’s raised more than $1.8 million, but he has less than $200,000 cash on hand.
Well, he can always write more checks.
But let’s stop for a moment and savor the fact that Bruce Lisman has already spent more money than any gubernatorial candidate in Vermont history — and the primary is still three and a half weeks away. And he places dismally in the available polls.