Vermont candidates for gubernatorial debate

The candidates for governor of Vermont debated Thursday evening.

Republican Gov. Phil Scott is seeking his fifth two-year term. During the debate, moderated by VT Digger, he reiterated many of the policies and programs he has struggled to implement and said the Democratic majority in the Legislature has prevented any progress.

Democratic challenger Esther Charlestin served on the Middlebury Selectboard and is chair of the Vermont Commission on Women. This is her first run for statewide office and she often reiterated policies supported by Democratic leaders.

The state Public Utility Commission is required to create a Clean Heat Standard to meet the greenhouse gas emissions mandated by the state’s Global Warming Solutions Act. Host and VTDigger Editor-in-Chief Neil Goswami asked Charlestin if she supported this standard.

“I support any effort that gives Vermonters the opportunity to not only use oil, but also use heat pumps,” Charlestin said. “So options are what I support.”

“So you don’t have a concrete alternative proposal to the Clean Heat Standard?” asked Goswami.

“Whatever gives Vermonters options,” Charlestin replied.

Incumbent Scott opposes the Clean Heat Standard.

“The PUC looks like its secondary recommendation will be a carbon tax. They call it something else, but it’s a carbon tax and I won’t support that,” Scott explained. “I won’t support it, it’s regressive. That’s going to hurt that.” And we just have to get creative and make progress. Heat pumps and some of the money we have committed to move towards a zero carbon society are the way forward. But it won’t happen overnight.”

The Vermont Senate voted against Scott’s nomination of Zoie Saunders as education secretary in April. Scott then named her interim secretary. Charleston criticized this move.

“I disagree with the governor’s actions and the way he appointed Zoie Saunders,” Charlestin said. “The Senate received many letters from the community from people concerned about her ability to do her job representing public schools with limited experience in public schools. It was a hard blow and did not lead to building camaraderie among the leaders. And instead it just brought a lot more division.”

“The chairman of the Senate Education Committee stood up for them. “A Democrat stood up for her and called it politics at its worst,” Scott claimed. “So again I completely rule out the possibility that she doesn’t have the necessary experience. It’s just that people didn’t want to give her a chance. Have you ever met her, Esther?”

“No, I didn’t have the pleasure,” replied Charlestin.

During a discussion about Scott’s record of 52 vetoes, Charlestin clashed with the incumbent over his interactions with lawmakers.

“I believe in working with legislators from the beginning, sitting down, showing up, sitting at the table, having those tough discussions and not vetoing them,” Charlestin said.

“It will be a happy day for me when I don’t have to do another veto, when they work with me, come to the table and solve problems instead of just pushing things through,” Scott replied. “Think about it. In 2024, over a hundred bills were passed. 75 of them were passed in the last week of the 2024 session. Forty died on the last day alone. Tell me, tell me that these legislators read these bills and actually knew what they were doing at the time. That’s what’s wrong here. It’s like it was poorly managed and enforced. They have to work on that.”

The candidates were asked what they would do about high property taxes. Scott lamented the legislature’s lack of action to address rising school costs.

“That’s the question of the day and something we have to deal with, and we tried to do it at the end of the session, but it was all in vain,” Scott recalled. “I think we need a five-year plan to freeze interest rates so we can reinvest in children. Because the money doesn’t reach the children, but is simply absorbed into the system. The formula also needs to be changed.”

“I wonder, where is the money we have, where is it going?” Charlestin wondered. “And using property taxes to fund education is not sustainable. And our schools aren’t getting what they need. That’s why it’s important that we come up with a plan to fund education in other ways.”

Early voting is underway in Vermont.

The general election will take place on November 5th.