Gov. Phil Scott spent Monday racing across Vermont on the eve of Election Day, making a final campaign push through all 14 counties as a new poll showed him trailing Amanda Janoo. He stopped in White River Junction for a honk-and-wave and said the day was a tradition he has kept since his run for lieutenant governor.
The timing gave the trip extra weight. With Tuesday close at hand, Scott was trying to end the campaign where he began it: in front of voters across the state, not just in the places where the race might already feel decided. He said he planned to visit all 14 counties, and the stop in White River Junction gave supporters one more chance to see him before they cast ballots.
At the honk-and-wave, Fred Burgess said he came out to show support after hearing the governor would be there. Burgess said he thanked Scott for the work he has done, a small exchange that captured the kind of loyal backing the incumbent has leaned on as the race tightened. Jim Harrison offered a similar note, saying he supports Scott because he cares deeply about the future of Vermont.
Scott kept the focus on the road ahead. He said he is proud of his five terms in office and still working to lower costs, and he said he wants to make Vermont more affordable if reelected. He also said he feels good about the campaign and believes it has done a lot of good over the last 10 years, even as the new University of New Hampshire poll put him behind Amanda Janoo.
That is the contradiction hanging over his final day on the trail. Scott told supporters he was upbeat, but the poll suggested the race was closer than his own campaign messaging might have implied. He planned to cast his ballot on Tuesday and finish up some last-minute campaigning before the day was over.
For Scott, the last-mile message was simple: keep moving, keep talking, and trust that a statewide sprint on the eve of the election can still matter. Whether that final push is enough to close the gap with Amanda Janoo will be decided when voters finish their count on Tuesday.
