BRATTLEBORO — There are a lot of ways to run for political office.
For his re-election campaign this year, Republican Lt. Gov. Phil Scott's decided to try something different.
A self-described avid cyclist, Scott combined business and pleasure by embarking on an eight-day, 568-mile, 14-county bicycle tour of Vermont.
The tour began Sept. 24 in St. Johnsbury and finished on Oct. 9 in Barre. He averaged 65 miles a day while circumnavigating the state.
“The first four days were challenging because of the weather,” Scott said. “But then on the fifth day, I was on Route 133 out of Rutland going through Ira and down to Dorset. It was an incredible ride, and the views were breathtaking. I lived in Vermont all my life, but there were still places I'd never seen before I took this trip.”
Scott, who is being challenged by Democratic candidate Cassandra Gekas, pedaled through Brattleboro on Oct. 6, and stopped by The Commons to talk about his two-wheeled campaign. He was fresh off of climbing over the Green Mountains via Route 9 from Bennington.
After five terms in the Vermont Senate, the Barre native was elected lieutenant governor in 2010. He's well-known for his exploits on the race track at Barre's Thunder Road, where he drives in the Late Model division and is the division all-time leading winner.
Not as well-known is his devotion to cycling. He said rarely leaves home without his Cannondale R500 in the back of his vehicle.
“I've been serious about it for about 15 years,” he said. “I started riding for health reasons, but I've found it really helps with my thinking to get out a ride. If I have time between meetings, I'll get out and ride for an hour. It's like therapy for me.”
Despite being in good shape, Scott said the ride was a big challenge for him, since he had never before been on a bike tour this long.
“I always wanted to try a ride around Vermont, and I saw this trip as a chance to accomplish a couple of milestones,” he said. “It exceeded my expectations.”
Scott said he hoped the ride would call attention to some of the themes he's promoted over his past two years as lieutenant governor, such as self-reliance, supporting in-state tourism, and the importance of Vermont consumers buying local.
As co-owner of DuBois Construction in Middlesex, he led a team of contractors, community organizers, and state officials in the removal of 83 flood-damaged mobile homes around Vermont after Tropical Storm Irene. He said he's proud of the way people across the state pitched in after the storm.
“One lesson we all learned from Irene was that when the chips are down, Vermonters will come together and help one another,” Scott said. “That's how we get things done in this state. People know me as someone who doesn't play political games.”
Aside from his bike ride, Scott has been waging a low-key re-election campaign. He is the only Republican member of Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin's cabinet, a legacy of the decade he spent in the Senate and his record of working with members of both parties.
“I was in the minority party in the Senate, but I was one of two Republicans who were chairmen of committees,” said Scott. “I have friends on both sides of the aisle, and that's important. If we want to change the political gamesmanship in Washington, we have to set a good example in Montpelier.”
But the past session of the Senate was marked by partisanship and discord. As the presiding officer over the Senate, Scott said he was disappointed but not surprised.
“We had lots of new faces - a new governor and lieutenant governor, a new president pro tem [John Campbell] and six new senators who weren't exactly wallflowers,” said Scott. “There was definitely a learning curve.”