Vermont’s statewide primary is today. In key races, Democratic voters are choosing a candidate for governor and both Democrats and Republicans are choosing their candidates for lieutenant governor.
In the Democratic gubernatorial primary, Vermont Commission on Women co-chair Esther Charlestin faces activist Peter Duval. They recently debated on WCAX.
“Working with and not against the legislature we can tackle the big challenges: attainable housing, climate change, health care and education,” Charlestin said.
“Phil Scott’s got this wrapped up,” Duval said. “So the whole point of participating in this Democratic primary is so that Esther and I can bring new perspectives to the debate, to the campaign.”
Marielle Blais is the only Progressive in the race. Republican Governor Phil Scott does not face a primary opponent in his bid for a fifth two-year term.
In the lieutenant governor’s race incumbent Democrat/Progressive David Zuckerman is seeking his fourth nonsequential term. He is being challenged by Thomas Renner, the Deputy Mayor of Winooski and member of the Vermont Professionals of Color Network. In a recent WCAX debate Renner said he prides himself on working across the aisle.
“I am confident that I will be able to work with Governor Scott if he is reelected, to have the conversations that need to happen in order to move the best policies forward for Vermont,” Renner said.
Incumbent Zuckerman has had a strained relationship with the current governor, but said in the debate that he works well with legislative leaders.
“I will continue to reach out. I think we have ideas we can work on to make government more efficient between human services and education in particular. And I will continue to bring ideas where I think we can bridge the divide,” Zuckerman said.
In the Republican primary for lieutenant governor, Gregory Thayer is facing off against John Rodgers. Thayer, a former Rutland County GOP chair, lost the 2022 GOP lieutenant governor primary. Rodgers served in the Vermont House and Senate representing the Orleans County area from 2003 until 2021 as a Democrat. In May he announced he would run for the statewide post as a Republican. During a WCAX debate Thayer quizzed Rodgers about his party change.
“You claim you’re a Republican. Two months ago, you were a 30-year Democrat,” observed Thayer. “In November, which John are we going to get?”
“Yes, I’m running as a Republican,” replied Rodgers. “When I look around in the Statehouse, I see the moderate Republicans and Governor Scott were speaking up about affordability. They are the ones who are now taking care of the working class people.”
Scott reiterated his support for Rodgers during his weekly briefing last Friday.
“I’ve said publicly that I’ll be voting for John Rodgers. I think he more aligns with what my thoughts are, my vision and my outlook. But it is an interesting race,” noted Scott.
Zoraya Hightower, a former Burlington city councilor, is the only Progressive candidate for lieutenant governor.
Despite the high-profile seats facing competition, Vermont political analyst Chris Graff expects a low turnout for the primary.
“On the statewide ticket we really don’t have much of interest in Vermont. There’s on the Democratic side a race for Governor and a race for Lieutenant Governor and on the Republican side there’s a race for Lieutenant Governor,” notes Graff. “But really those are not getting a lot of attention because the incumbents in all of Vermont’s statewide races are expected to win reelection.”
Graff adds that voters’ attention has been focused on legislative primary races.
“There’s been a big effort to try to attract more moderate Democrats or some moderate Republicans,” observes Graff. “Governor Phil Scott has made that a big effort because he wants to try to get better relations with the Legislature and sort of drive down the supermajority that the Progressive Democrats have now in the House and Senate.”
Graff says one of the most interesting primaries pits three incumbents against retired Statehouse reporter Stewart Ledbetter in the Chittenden Central state Senate race.
“He is presenting himself as a moderate alternative. The odds are Stuart’s going to win that,” predicts Graff. “In Brattleboro there’s a state legislative race for the state House. The incumbent Emilie Kornheiser is the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee and she’s being challenged by a farmer, Amanda Ellis-Thurber, who is really making the issue that Emilie’s tax proposals are really over the top. So it’s races like that where it’ll be interesting to watch the outcome.”
In person voting continues in Vermont until 7 p.m. Connecticut is also holding state primary races today. Two Republicans are vying to run against Incumbent U.S. Senator Chris Murphy. Beacon Falls Selectman Gerry Smith is running against Manchester businessman Matthew Corey in the GOP primary. Polls in Connecticut are open until 8 p.m.
