With Election Day around the corner, big bucks are rolling into Vermont from a pro-Phil Scott super PAC tied to the Republican Governors Association. His challenger, Amanda Janoo, hasn’t received the same support from the analogous Democratic organization — and says she doesn’t want it — though her campaign has raised more money than Scott’s, the latest campaign finance filings show.

The super PAC, called “A Stronger Vermont,” injected more than $460,000 into the governor’s race in recent weeks on Scott’s behalf, according to reports filed with the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office.

Under campaign finance law, the PAC can’t donate directly to Scott’s campaign but is able to spend an unlimited amount of money supporting him. The same organization has aided Scott before. In 2016, for example, it spent $3 million to help him get elected governor the first time. 

The spending reported so far this month, mostly on TV and online ads, is the PAC’s largest since 2018. It suggests the Republican Governors Association, which supports GOP candidates for that office nationwide, sees at least some need to campaign harder in Vermont this year.


Recent polls and campaign fundraising data indicate that this year’s reelection bid could be Scott’s toughest yet. Janoo raised more money for her campaign over the first half of October than Scott raised for his, according to new filings. Janoo also outraised the five-term governor in September.

Overall, campaign finance reports show Scott has raised just shy of $590,000 for his own campaign so far in this election cycle, while Janoo has raised about $890,000. Heading into the final weeks of the race, Janoo has more cash on hand — about $307,000 compared to Scott’s $202,000. 

Accounting for the super PAC’s cash, though, there has been far more pro-Scott money pouring into the race so far this month than pro-Janoo money, filings show.

Over the first half of October, the PAC spent just shy of $463,000, most of it on TV and online advertising, according to a Thursday filing with the Secretary of State’s Office. As of the end of September, it had reported spending just $300 so far this cycle with $70,000 in the bank. But on Oct. 8, its coffers were boosted by a $400,000 contribution from the Republican Governors Association, filings show. 

At least one recent ad funded by A Stronger Vermont describes Janoo as inexperienced and running a campaign with unrealistic policy proposals. A website displaying that same ad and urging voters to elect Scott also includes a picture that appears to show Janoo holding a glass of wine next to the words, “what kind of governor would Amanda Janoo be?”

Janoo’s campaign condemned the super PAC’s spending in a statement this week, calling the RGA “a D.C.-based political group aligned with Trump.”

Last month, a super PAC called “Our Vermont” reported receiving $40,000 from the Democratic Governors Association, the national group that provides cash and campaign strategy to help elect Democratic governors. But Janoo’s campaign told VTDigger it did not want the organization to spend any money on its behalf.

Our Vermont reported spending $121,000 since the start of October on consulting and surveys but not on any advertising. Before this fall, the PAC last reported campaign spending in 2020 and hasn’t reported an ad purchase since 2016, filings show.

The RGA’s current chair, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, is a close ally of Trump. Some of the organization’s big donors are also major supporters of the president. Among them is Elon Musk, the Tesla founder, and Miriam Adelson, the gambling magnate. 

At a press conference Thursday, Scott pushed back on the suggestion that the super PAC spending on his behalf tied him to Trump. “I think Vermonters know me,” he said. “I don’t know how I can separate myself any further from the president.”

Scott told reporters he would prefer to “just run our own campaign and do the best we can with giving our own message.” But he also said he did not have an issue with the ad that featured Janoo. 

“I don’t like the negative campaigning. But I thought it struck the right balance. It seems to be palatable,” he said.

In recent weeks, Janoo reported spending more than $200,000 on TV and online advertising, the first major media purchases she’s reported in the election cycle. Scott has been spending large sums of his campaign’s own money on digital, TV and radio advertising, too. The governor is also providing resources to Republican candidates for the state House and Senate, filings show.

Meanwhile, in the race for the state’s second-highest office, Republican Lt. Gov. John Rodgers has continued to outraise his Democratic challenger, Molly Gray. Rodgers brought in $75,240 over the first half of October, while Gray raised $41,290 in the same time period. Rodgers also outraised Gray last month. 

Gray enters the home stretch of the campaign with significantly more cash on hand, though — $122,700 to Rodgers’ $49,780.

The general election is on Tuesday, Nov. 3.