Republican Vermont Gov. Phil Scott is running for reelection to 5th term

MONTPELIER, Vt. — Republican Governor Phil Scott is running for re-election to a fifth two-year term in the largely blue state of Vermont.

Scott announced his re-election bid on Saturday and said there is more work to be done.

“During my four terms as governor, my team and I have worked to grow the economy, make Vermont more affordable and protect its most vulnerable,” he said in a statement. “I have done my best to rise above partisanship to solve problems. problems and helping people.”

While progress has been made, he said he can’t step aside now that the Democratic-controlled Legislature is “so far out of balance.” Scott and the Legislature have clashed over spending and taxes, and he has vetoed a number of bills in recent years. expect more vetoes to come.

Scott, a Republican who combines fiscal conservatism with social liberalism, was a frequent critic of former President Donald Trump and voted for Joe Biden in the 2020 election. He won praise for leading Vermont through the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his re-election campaign message, he urged supporters to elect more lawmakers who will work with him.

“Now more than ever, we need Vermonters to make their voices heard and get involved,” he said.

When Scott first became a senator more than 23 years ago, Sen. Dick Mazza, a Democrat, took him under his wing and became his mentor, he said in his campaign message. Mazza, who resigned from the Senate last month for health reasons, asked to be by his side when he announced his re-election bid on Saturday, which Scott called “such an honor.”