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Not Now Turn On<doc-sep>Vermont Democratic gubernatorial candidate Christine Hallquist, center, a transgender woman and former electric company executive, embraces supporters after claiming victory during her election night party in Burlington, Vermont on Tuesday. Democrat Christine Hallquist made history tonight when she became the first transgender person nominated for governor by a major party. Halliquist said her win in Vermont is "a victory for all Americans." "It is no surprise to me living in Vermont, I love Vermont and this is pretty typical for what Vermont is," she said. "Vermont has been a loving state, a leader in civil rights and we're going to continue to show the rest of the country what good democracy looks like." Halliquist said she wants people to look beyond that she is transgender.<doc-sep>Vermont Democrats made history Tuesday by nominating Christine Hallquist as the first transgender individual to be a major party candidate for governor. Meanwhile, preliminary results showed that Gov. Phil Scott survived a challenge animated by his former Republican allies in the gun-rights movement. The general election matchup pits Hallquist, a former utility executive who has never held statewide elected office, against Scott, a former construction company owner seeking a second term. "I'm going to tell you why we're going to win in November," said Hallquist, holding a clipboard as she addressed a cheering crowd of supporters at the Skinny Pancake restaurant in Burlington. "Because nothing is impossible when you're on the side of justice." LIVE EVENT COVERAGE:Vermont Democrats rally for Christine Hallquist, 1st major-party transgender gov. nominee Hallquist’s campaign platform is built on her 13 years as the CEO of Vermont Electric Cooperative, where she says she proved it’s possible to address climate change without raising costs. She has pitched a plan to connect every Vermont home and business with high-speed internet access by relying on electric utilities to string fiber optic cable. "It's going to take a lot of work to get to every town in Vermont," Hallquist said Tuesday of her upcoming campaign, "and it's going to take twice the amount of work to knock on every door in Vermont, because there's a lot of areas of Vermont that we don't have internet to." "Not yet!" someone in the crowd yelled. Her historic campaign has attracted nationwide attention and support, but Hallquist still faces a challenging path as she seeks to defeat a sitting Vermont governor for the first time in more than half a century. More: "Facing an incumbent governor is always a challenge for any candidate," said Alex MacLean, who managed two of former Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin's campaigns. "Vermonters tend to really support their incumbents," More:VT Insights: Hallquist latest Democrat to shun corporate donations Scott, a Republican, was first elected in 2016, pulling together a coalition of independent, Republican and Democratic voters in a year when Vermont overwhelmingly supported the Democratic presidential candidate. Hallquist was one of them. She now regrets voting for Scott in the last election. “I knew Phil Scott for many years,” Hallquist said in an interview last month. “So I look at what Phil’s doing today and I say, either this is the Phil Scott that I didn’t know, or I just wasn’t paying close enough attention. But like I tell people, I’m making up for it now.” Scott held on to the Republican nomination by a comfortable margin over challenger Keith Stern, who rode a wave of anger from gun-rights activists who felt Scott betrayed them. The owner of a White River Junction wholesale produce business, Stern launched his campaign by arguing that Scott, a fiscal conservative, had not done enough to cut government spending. He also criticized the governor's support for a bill preserving the Obamacare requirement that Vermonters must have health insurance. But it was the gun issue that came up repeatedly when Scott spoke with voters, and that most threatened his hold on the Republican nomination. Gun-rights rallies chanted "dump Phil Scott," and online commenters called him "Phlipper." Scott continues to defend the gun bills that he endorsed, including expanded background checks on private firearms transfers and a limit on magazine size. Gun-rights activists have sued the state over the magazine restriction, arguing that the law is unconstitutional. "We didn't take any gun rights away," Scott said at a candidate forum last month. Janssen Willhoit, a Republican state representative from St. Johnsbury who is not seeking re-election, said the results showed that Scott still has the support of Republicans, despite disagreements over guns. Willhoit argued that for those concerned about gun rights, Scott would be a better choice in the fall. “My hope is that he will double down on his efforts to restore those relationships,” said Willhoit, who endorsed Scott’s campaign. He added that he hoped Scott would not take further steps to regulate guns in the next term. In his primary night remarks, Scott congratulated Hallquist on her nomination and acknowledged the divisions among his base. He said he had expected a smaller margin in his contest with Stern. "I want to thank those Republicans who have stuck with me through thick and thin and all those who have put aside partisanship to engage in the primary," Scott said. "It says something very important about Vermont, about the type of candidates we want to nominate, and the good work my team and I have done to grow the economy, make Vermont more affordable, and protect the most vulnerable." The primary elections appeared to draw a relatively strong turnout. As of 11 p.m., unofficial results showed more total votes cast than were cast in the 2012 and 2014 primaries, and some towns were still outstading. Contact April McCullum at 802-660-1863 or amccullum@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @April_McCullum.<doc-sep>
Democrats are holding out hope that they can retake the Vermont governor’s mansion in the 2018 midterm elections as incumbent Republican Gov. Phil Scott’s approval ratings dip. A heated battle over gun control has put the once-popular Scott at risk, though he’s still favored to beat Keith Stern, the small-business owner vying to take him down, in the GOP primary. But he could be more vulnerable than previously believed in the general election. A number of Democrats are competing for the chance to topple Scott, including a 14-year-old upstart and a state senator who’s mounting a write-in campaign. Former energy executive Christine Hallquist could also become the first openly transgender person nominated for governor by a major party. Both parties will choose their candidates in Tuesday’s primary elections. Polls close at 7 pm ET. Live results below, powered by Decision Desk. Vermont governor: Gov. Phill Scott faces challenger, while Dems could make history Christine Hallquist has been declared the winner of the Vermont governor Democratic primary election. While Scott has been a popular governor for his single term in office, his efforts to strengthen gun control have more recently prompted significant backlash among Vermont voters. The bills he signed in April, after authorities apprehended a teenager allegedly planning a school shooting in Fair Haven, Vermont, raised the age required for gun purchases to 21, enhanced the scope of background checks, and banned bump stocks, while putting limits on gun magazines. State Sen. John Rodgers, a Democratic write-in candidate, is among those who’ve said he thinks certain provisions of these laws infringe on established constitutional rights. There’s a crowded field on the Democratic side, include a few candidates who’ve been generating quite a bit of buzz. Ethan Sonneborn, a 14-year-old high school student that wants to see more young people engaged in politics, is among the contenders. (Vermont has no age requirement for candidates.) Christine Hallquist, a former electric co-op executive, is also on the ballot and could be the first openly transgender person nominated for governor by a major party. Others on the docket include Brenda Siegel, an executive director of the Southern Vermont Dance Festival, and James Ehlers, an environmental activist. A July poll found that Hallquist had the highest name recognition of the plethora of Democratic contenders. Despite the blowback Scott has faced, the Cook Political Report still rates the race — for now — as Solid Republican.