Republican Lt. Gov. Phil Scott will become the fourth candidate to jump into the gubernatorial race on Tuesday.
Scott, 57, told the Vermont Press Bureau Monday morning that he is planning a “soft announcement” that is “favorable” to a run for governor. The Vermont Press Bureau was the first to report Scott’s pending announcement on Twitter.
Scott himself used a new Twitter account on Monday to drop the news. "Watch for a special announcement from the Phil Scott for Vermont campaign," said the message from PhilScott4Vt.
Scott, in his third term as lieutenant governor, has been publicly weighing a run for the top job after Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin announced in June that he would not seek a fourth, two-year term. Scott, who lives in Berlin, served 10 years in the state Senate from Washington County before being elected lieutenant governor.
Scott’s entry into the race will create a Republican primary. Former Wall Street executive Bruce Lisman announced his candidacy via email last week.
The 2014 GOP nominee for governor Scott Milne is also thinking of running again, as is 2012 nominee Randy Brock.
Scott had previously said he was likely to run but needed to find a way to separate himself from his construction firm, Dubois Construction, which has received state contracts.
On the Democratic side, House Speaker Shap Smith and former Windsor County Sen. Matt Dunne have announced their candidacies. Agency of Transportation Secretary Sue Minter is also considering a run.
