Vermont’s earliest primary ever is today and low turnout is expected despite numerous campaigns that will be sorted by voters at the ballot box.
All of Vermont’s House and Senate seats are up for election this year. Not all candidates in those races face primaries. The most visible is the state Senate race in Franklin County where incumbent Republican Senator Norm McAllister, who faces a December sexual assault trial, has two challengers.
In Vermont’s top tier races, three Democrats are dueling for the Lieutenant Governor’s seat to replace outgoing Republican Phil Scott. Scott is running to replace retiring Governor Peter Shumlin, a Democrat.
Five Democratic candidates for governor are on the primary ballot. The top three candidates are expected to be Matt Dunne, Sue Minter and Peter Galbraith. In the waning days of the campaign PAC spending has become an issue, as has what some perceived as Dunne’s change in position over wind turbine siting.
But Dunne shakes off any criticism, saying he anticipated a close race. Dunne believes he is the best positioned to build on the Bernie Sanders movement. “It’s really about bringing the same vision that Bernie Sanders brought to the country back to where it started, which is in Vermont. And it’s about bringing entrepreneurship and innovation. I believe those are the right combination to build on Vermont’s rich past into its place of the future.”
Sue Minter is seen as the likeliest to defeat Dunne. Last week, she noted that after more than a year of campaigning she was now the frontrunner. “I want to make government work for people. I want to be accountable to the taxpayers and I have had experience doing this and that’s why I think I’m the most qualified and the best to lead the state as the next governor.”
Former Ambassador to Croatia and former Vermont state Senator Peter Galbraith says he has the best policies for the state and is the only candidate who knows how to pay for every initiative. “I running to offer voters a clear liberal choice. I’m not running just to be governor of Vermont. If it was a matter of sitting in the chair I don’t want the job. I’m running to do something as governor of Vermont for Vermont.”
The Republican gubernatorial primary between Phil Scott and Bruce Lisman has been a bitter fight with attack ads from Lisman and Scott attempting to convince voters that negative campaigning is not the “Vermont way.” Just this weekend, the Lisman campaign claimed voters were receiving fraudulent push polls and calls providing inaccurate primary dates. The Scott campaign denied the accusations and the Vermont Republican Party stepped into the fray and demanded proof of Lisman’s claims. Two voters said they had received calls. Scott’s campaign meanwhile filed a complaint with the attorney general over PAC advertising for Lisman.
In a press conference last week, Scott said he believed Vermonters would see through all the misrepresentations. “With the amount of negative ads, and from my standpoint deceitful ads, that have transpired over the last few weeks it’s given me concern. Trying to rebuild that faith and trust in government and elections and have trust in all of us means you remain above board and you talk about the issues rather than other issues that are fabricated and manipulated.”
Lisman contends all his ads have reflected the truth. “I’m offering real issues. I’m telling people what Phil said. He’s never said he didn’t say those things. He merely says they’re lies. I think my message has resonated with hard working Vermonters and I’m optimistic. I think we were down by an awful lot and now extremely competitive, close, and I’m optimistic we’re going to win.”
Vermont’s polling places open between 5 and 10 a.m. and all close at 7 p.m.
