Vermont Democrats are feeling the Bern this fall — and not in a good way.

Bernie Sanders, by far the most popular political figure in his state but one who has long clashed with the more moderate Democratic establishment there, has no apparent plans to assist Democrats' nominee for governor, Sue Minter, who faces a difficult race against popular GOP Lt. Gov. Phil Scott despite Vermont’s liberal leanings.


Sanders' unwillingness to participate in the Minter race "is starting to generate ill will" with the state's Democratic establishment, a top Vermont Democrat said, adding: "Is he going to let a Republican win his home state?"

It's not that Sanders is wholly avoiding home-state politics to tend to his new national movement: Indeed, Sanders has endorsed a candidate for lieutenant governor, state Sen. David Zuckerman, who has the backing of Vermont's Progressive Party as well as its Democratic Party. Sanders has also endorsed a Progressive state Senate nominee.

But Minter is "very much a moderate Democrat, which is probably why Bernie is sitting aside," former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean said.

A Sanders spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.

Public polling in the race has been sparse, but it has consistently shown the jovial Scott, a champion semi-pro stock car racer and construction company owner, with strong favorability among Vermont voters of all stripes.

Minter, a technocrat who won a three-way Democratic primary by hyping her support for gun control and her role helping the state recover from flooding after Tropical Storm Irene, is still capable of winning without Sanders' help. But some observers believe the senator's endorsement would essentially guarantee a Democratic victory.

It's unclear exactly why Sanders hasn't backed Minter. He's been holed up with a top aide writing his book, mixing in travel to campaign for Hillary Clinton and higher-profile Senate candidates like Pennsylvania's Katie McGinty. Sanders also isn't fond of Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin — who endorsed Clinton the day Sanders announced his presidential bid and scrapped plans to implement single-payer health care in the state — and Minter worked in Shumlin's administration.

Minter also simply has a more moderate profile than Sanders does.

“There is always an underlying question of who Bernie will support, but it isn't of the utmost importance,” said Dottie Deans, the state Democratic Party chair. “I certainly would welcome his support for any of our Democratic candidates, but what’s clear in this state is we have three parties: the Republican Party, the Democratic Party and the Progressive Party, and that makes it a little dicey.”

Sanders has marched to his own drumbeat on endorsements this year. National party leaders asked the Vermont independent to back two lower-profile Senate candidates over the summer — Iowa’s Patty Judge and North Carolina’s Deborah Ross — but they are not among the candidates Sanders has personally endorsed so far.

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Sue Minter faces a difficult race against popular GOP Lt. Gov. Phil Scott despite Vermont’s liberal leanings. | AP Photos

In Vermont’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, former state Sen. Matt Dunne hugged Sanders close and earned the endorsement of Jeff Weaver, Sanders’ right-hand adviser and presidential campaign manager. While Minter didn’t embrace Sanders as tightly, she acknowledged that significant parts of her platform — including hiking the minimum wage to $15, universal health care and making community college free — owed a significant debt to Sanders.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence we’re talking about the issues Bernie raised,” Minter said in an interview before the primary, when she also discussed how she worked closely with Sanders’ Senate office on storm recovery and climate change. (Minter’s campaign declined to comment for this story.)

Minter has lavished yet more praise on Sanders in other interviews. “I am incredibly proud about how he has literally changed the conversation around what Democrats are pushing for,” she told Vermont Public Radio. Minter also endorsed Sanders in the presidential race — though not until the day of the Vermont primary.

Vermont has struggled with an aging population, a high cost of living and an opioid crisis, all of which have dragged down Shumlin’s numbers during his time as governor. Scott is running as a check on the state’s liberalism, promising to right the ship by cutting taxes and regulations. But his main message is that he will break from the current unpopular administration.

“If people think they’re better off than they were seven years ago, they should vote for Sue,” he says.

A recent ad from the Republican Governors Association reinforced the idea more severely, portraying Shumlin and Minter as bobbleheads and dubbing Shumlin “Minter’s mentor.”

“Sue Minter and her mentor Peter Shumlin are so toxic, even Bernie Sanders wants nothing to do with them,” RGA spokesman Jon Thompson said. “Bernie reminded Vermont voters that they don’t have to settle for the status quo, so it’s no surprise that more and more Vermonters are abandoning Minter and Shumlin’s failed agenda.”

Still, victory won’t be easy for Scott. Democrats are busily trying to tie him to national Republicans.

“Sue Minter reflects Vermont’s values,” Democratic Governors Association spokesman Jared Leopold said. “Sue’s campaign is focused on many of the issues that Sen. Sanders has championed. ... Voters in Vermont will have a clear choice between Sue Minter’s Vermont values and Phil Scott’s record of standing with Donald Trump and national Republicans in opposing paid sick leave, slashing public school funding and opposing a raise in the minimum wage. Vermont’s governor’s race is a battle between Bernie Sanders’ values and Donald Trump’s — and that’s why Sue Minter is going to be the next governor."

Democrats are also raising questions about Scott's ownership of DuBois Construction, which often competes for state contracts. Scott recently announced he would sell his shares if elected and said he wanted to “take any conflict off the table."

But Scott’s biggest problem may simply be the overwhelming margin Clinton is expected to rack up at the top of the ticket in Vermont.

“Hillary’s going to win Vermont by double digits, with a 2 or 3 in front of it,” said Dean.

Yet in a phone interview, Scott argued that many voters like him and Sanders for the same reasons.

“They like Bernie,” Scott said. “They like that he fights for seniors, and they like that he fights for vets. And I’m the same way. They want someone to listen to them. They want someone to follow through.”

Scott said it was “special” to see signs supporting both he and Sanders outside “dilapidated houses.”

Scott and Sanders may share some fans, but they do not share ideology. Scott opposes an increase in the minimum wage and argues against the tax increases Democrats have proposed to lower the cost of college in the state.

The Republican is perfectly happy to run the governor’s race without Sanders getting involved.

“I think he’s got his hands full helping Hillary get elected,” Scott said.