Gray, Balint campaigns go tit-for-tat on super PACs

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Super PACs have yet to buy a single ad in Vermont’s Democratic primary for U.S. House, the marquee race in this year’s historic election. But one campaign is nevertheless working hard to make sure dark money is top of mind for the electorate as early voting begins across the state.

After both VTDigger and Seven Days published stories this month about Vermont Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint, D-Windham, appearing to encourage super PACs to back her candidacy, her chief rival, Lt. Gov. Molly Gray, wasted no time in hammering Balint in a fundraising email to supporters.

“If our opponent has it her way, dark money will flood the airwaves and drown out the voices of Vermonters,” the email read. The missive also said that Gray knew “first-hand how harmful Super PAC spending can be in Vermont elections,” pointing to the $200,000 spent on ads by a national Republican group in 2020 that attacked Gray during her race for lieutenant governor.

Notably absent from Gray’s email was any mention that she, too, benefited that year from super PAC spending. Alliance for a Better Vermont Action Fund, a local super PAC, spent tens of thousands of dollars in 2020 on television ads attacking Gray’s GOP opponent, Scott Milne.

In the campaign finance world, there are two types of political action committees. Run-of-the-mill PACs can donate directly to campaigns — but only $5,000. So-called super PACs,…