John Rodgers still looks to be our next lieutenant governor, absent some history-defying hijinx in the Statehouse. But he can’t close the books on his successful campaign — not without some serious post-election fundraising.
Because according to his latest campaign finance filing, Rodgers is nearly $53,000 in the red.
He raised a total of $214,218, very respectable considering that as of July 4 he hadn’t raised a damn dime. He attracted a veritable tsunami of four-figure donations from the Barons of Burlington and their friends.
But he also spent like a drunken sailor — $266,942 in a four-month period, a breathtaking pace for any office this side of the governorship. That leaves him with a campaign deficit of $52,724, meaning he overshot his revenue by about 25%.
Hell of a thing for a guy who ran on affordability and common sense.
Rodgers was throwing money out the door right up to Election Day, with some checks being cut in the ensuing days. Rodgers reported total expenditures of $30,965 in his latest filing, which covers November 1 through 19 (although the dates on many of the reported expenditures are in late October). More than half of his late spends were devoted to mass media advertising, primarily on TV but also in print and in the digital space. The single biggest expense: His half of a $16,000 TV ad buy with Gov. Phil Scott.
Oh, and Rodgers paid another $5,000 for the consulting services of many-time failed Democratic candidate James Ehlers, last seen on Twitter applauding the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as Donald Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary.
Backing away slowly…
Rodgers paid Ehlers a total of $20,000 during the campaign. And starting in January, Ehlers will be a “special advisor” to our new lieutenant governor, although the office’s meager budget probably means Ehlers won’t be underwritten by your tax dollars and mine.
You never know whether Rodgers’ spendthrifty stretch run made the difference in a very narrow contest with incumbent David Zuckerman, but it sure didn’t hurt. Zuckerman reported a spending total of $204,427 for the campaign, about $19,000 less than his fundraising total. I guess the notorious Progressive doesn’t believe in deficit spending, at least not as much as his hard-headed, common sense challenger.
So what will Rodgers do to make up the $53K that might well have won him the election? Open a dispensary in the LG’s office? Raffle off chances to bang the Senate gavel? Go begging to the Barons?
Yeah, guessing the latter. Hell of a thing for a rural populist.
The Vermont Political Observer. 
Thanks for writing this!How can Rodgers create a new ro
Oh, lookee, another VPO article avoiding the obvious topic:
The statewide “news” media, including you John, too Lt Governor Zuckerman to task for making sure women had something that otherwise had not been provided for inside the statehouse – personal care, female hygiene stuff.
But was there any discussion of Rodgers voluntarily joining up with the only political party in Vermont to make special dispensation for a proven rapist so they could proudly support the proven rapist to be President of our United States?
John … anything?
Nada – apparently helping people is to be shunned and attacked while helping those that assault – RAPE – people is enough to get you positive press and elected – the latter – that’s the acceptable, polite, route.
“Hell of a thing for a rural populist.”
Yep. A little bit of hypocrisy and irony there:)