Vermont primary: Christine Hallquist makes history as transgender candidate becomes Democrat governor nominee as Bernie Sanders is also victorious
The state boasts a number of unique — many of them progressive — candidates
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Christine Hallquist has become the first transgender candidate to win a major political party's nomination for governor.
As part of the primaries in Vermont, Ms Hallquist beat three other Democrats to secure the victory.
The 62-year-old Ms Hallquist is part of a wave of LGBTQ candidates seeking higher office across the US. Ms Hallquist is being supported by The Victory Fund, a political action committee that backs LGBTQ candidates across the country. The committed labelled her a “game changer.”
Before Vermont's election, only four transgender candidates had won primaries in 2018, all for house and senate seats in state legislatures, and have a general election ahead. Seventeen have lost primary or general elections and 21 have yet to face voters
Elsewhere, Bernie Sanders has won the Democratic Senate beating Folasade Adeluola as he seeks a third term in office.
With 98 per cent of precincts reporting, Mr Sanders had 94 per cent of the vote. It was not immediately clear which Republican he will face in the general election in November, given a close race between Brooke Paige and Lawrence Zupan that had just hundreds of votes in it.
Mr Sanders' win does not come as a surprise. The self-described Democratic Socialist won re-election in 2012 with about 71 per cent of the vote. Before that, in 2006, he carried about 65 per cent of the vote.
While Mr Sanders won the Democratic nomination, he is widely expected to reject it. Doing so has become a regular move for the notably independent senator over the years.
Phil Scott, the Republican governor in the reliably Democratic state, has won the GOP primary as he seeks re-election and will face Ms Hallquist.
Ethan Sonneborn is another candidate worth mentioning. He’s a 14-year-old progressive who decided to launch his campaign after violence erupted last year during a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, North Carolina. State law allows anyone who has lived in Vermont for four years to run for governor after securing enough signatures to get on the ballot, making Mr Sonneborn legally qualified despite his age. He secured more than 4,000 votes for an eight per cent share of the ballots.
Please allow the live blog to load
Vermont isn’t the only state that held a primary on Tuesday — Minnesota, Wisconsin and Connecticut also had elections to determine which candidates will face off come November.
The biggest race as Connecticut residents goes to the polls for Tuesday's primaries is for the governor's office.
There is an open seat, with Democrat Governor Dannel Malloy not seeking re-election; Republicans believe they have a good chance of winning it back after losing control in 2010. Control of the narrowly divided General Assembly is also in play, especially the state Senate, now equally split between Democrats and Republicans.
Democrats would have a lot of advantages in the state, with more registered Democrats than Republicans, and the fact that the entire Congressional delegation is currently Democrat. But Mr Malloy had grown deeply unpopular, offering Republicans a chance.
For the Democrats, businessman Ned Lamont is up against Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim. Mr Ganim previously served as Bridgeport mayor for more than a decade and was able to win re-election to the role in 2015 following a seven-year stint in federal prison for political corruption.
For the GOP, it is David Stemerman, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, the party's endorsed candidate; Tim Herbst; Madison businessman Bob Stefanowski; and Westport tech entrepreneur and former US Navy officer Steve Obsitnik.
Progressive candidates in Vermont are running on campaign issues most Democratic elected officials have been hesitant to support, from Medicare-for-all to eliminating college tuition for public schools.
Rick Scott, Vermont's Republican governor who has seen his popularity slip in recent months, could very well make history in the 2018 midterm elections. A governor seeking reelection in Vermont hasn’t been defeated since 1962.
In Wisconsin, these are the candidates for the governor's race:
Democratic candidates:
Tony Evans
Matt Flynn
Mike McCabe
Mahlon Mitchell
Josh Pade
Kelda Roys
Paul Soglin
Kathleen Vinehout
Republican candidate:
Robert Meyers
In the Wisconsin's First Congressional District, Democrats are vying to take Paul Ryan’s seat, with candidates Randy Bryce and Cathy Myers are in bitter primary battle.
The candidates in Wisconsin are...
Democratic candidates:
Randy Bryce - populist ironworker and union organiser
Cathy Myers- school board member and teacher
Republican candidates:
Bryan Steil - local business executive with the endorsement of Paul Ryan
Paul Nehlen - self-described “pro-White Christian American candidate”
Nick Polce - Army green beret...first-time candidate
Jeremy Ryan (pro-marijuana)
Kevin Steen - Christian business leader
Last night Donald Trump posted a message of support for Pete Stauber, who is running for Congress in Minnesota.
The president said:
Ethan Sonneborn is one of four Democratic candidates for governor in Vermont. He’s a 14-year-old progressive who decided to launch his campaign after violence erupted last year during a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, North Carolina. State law allows anyone who has lived in Vermont for four years to run for governor after securing enough signatures to get on the ballot, making Mr Sonneborn legally qualified despite his age.
Democrat Ned Lamont, a business executive, who is running against Joe Ganim, mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut in the Connecticut primary race for governor, has cast his vote early Tuesday morning.
He said he wants to make sure the people of Connecticut knows he "represents real change".
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments