BENNINGTON, Vt. (AP) — A 500-mile, 14-county bicycle tour is giving Vermont’s lieutenant governor a new perspective on the state as he campaigns for a second term, not to mention plenty of time to think about the issues.

Republican Phil Scott tells the Bennington Banner (bit.ly/R5hq82) that anyone running for statewide office has to cross-cross the state — he’s just taking a different approach to slow down the pace.

Scott, who is being challenged by Democrat Cassandra Gekas, began his tour last week in the Northeast Kingdom, which recently announced a $500 million development project using the EB-5 foreign visa program. The program provides a visa to foreign investors for capital that creates jobs, and Scott says he'd like to see it used in other parts of the state.

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