Phil Scott, Sue Minter tied in governor's race

A Vermont Public Radio poll released Wednesday shows Sue Minter and Phil Scott locked in a statistical tie as the gubernatorial election enters the final weeks.

Of the 579 Vermonters polled by the Castleton Polling Institute, 39 percent said they would go with Scott, the Republican, while 38 percent favored Democrat Minter. The difference is well within the poll's margins of error.

Pollsters asked questions on a range of issues including the economy, taxes, the state budget, energy policy and health care.

On the economy and jobs, 41 percent of respondents said they trusted Scott most, while 28 percent said they trusted Minter more. When asked specifically about taxes and the economy, 42 percent said they trusted Scott more while 28 percent preferred Minter.

Ethan Latour, Scott's communications director, said the results show that the campaign's message is resonating.

"Phil is polling well on pocketbook issues," he said.

The campaign expected the race to be competitive, he said.

More Vermonters -- 40 percent -- said they trust Minter most to handle the environment and clean energy issues, while 29 percent chose Scott. Minter also enjoys an advantage on education, but the two candidates polled closely on health care and Vermont Health Connect, the troubled state health insurance exchange.

Respondents put taxes and the budget at the top of the list when pollsters asked what the Legislature should focus on next session, followed by health care.

Elliott Bent, Minter's communication director, said in a statement issued on Wednesday that the poll results show that the nearly $2 million the Republican Governors Association has spent to support Scott is not having an impact.

Minter, who if elected would be Vermont's second female governor, has an edge with women voters, 42 percent of whom say they plan to vote for her, versus 35 percent who plan to support Scott.

Minter also has a lead in Chittenden County. Half of voters in Vermont's most populous county plan to vote for Minter, while 33 percent said they would go for Scott.

In the presidential race, 45 percent of respondents said they would vote for Democrat Hillary Clinton, while 17 percent said they favor Republican Donald Trump. Libertarian Gary Johnson and former Democratic candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., each received 4 percent, while the Green Party's Jill Stein received 3 percent. Among the remaining respondents, 13 percent chose another candidate and 10 percent said they were unsure.

Clinton, like Minter, has a stronger base of support among the women in the state, while Trump's support was split evenly among men and women.

The poll also showed 42 percent of respondents said they were keeping a close eye on the presidential contest, while 20 percent said they were following the governor's race.

In other statewide races, Democrats enjoy wide leads over their opponents.

This story was first published online on Oct 19, 2016. Contact Jess Aloe at 802-660-1874 or jaloe@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jess_aloe