Vermont Progressive Party Primary Required a Recount and a Lawsuit to Determine Winner for Governor

The Vermont Progressive Party is entitled to its own primary. At the August 28 primary, the party’s state chair, Martha Abbott, filed to run for Governor. Hers was the only name on the Progressive Party primary ballot. She let it be known that if she were nominated, she would withdraw from the general election, because the Progressive Party leadership wanted to have no Progressive nominee on the ballot for Governor, so as to assist the Democratic incumbent who is running for re-election.

However, another Progressive Party candidate entered the primary race for Governor. She is Annette Smith, an environmentalist, and she let it be known that if she won the primary, she would not withdraw and would campaign in November. At the primary, the number of write-in votes for Governor in the Progressive Party primary exceeded the number of votes cast for the ballot-listed Abbott. There were 371 votes for Abbott and 382 write-ins. However, after an initial count of the write-ins, followed by a recount, followed by a lawsuit, Abbott was determined to be the winner, on September 18. See this story. She has already withdrawn from the race.

Here is a longer story about the Progressive Party, written before the primary results were known.

The Progressive Party will have three statewide nominees: Cassandra Gekas for Lieutenant Governor, Don Schramm for Treasurer, and Ed Stanak for Attorney General. Gekas has been cross-endorsed by the Democratic Party.

In other Vermont news, it seems likely that Liberty Union will regain its “major party” status, which will entitle it to its own primary. It needs 5% in any statewide race. In the Secretary of State’s race, the only nominees are Liberty Union nominee Mary Alice Herbert, and incumbent James C. Condos, who has the nominations of the Democratic, Republican, Working Families, and Progressive Parties.


Comments

Vermont Progressive Party Primary Required a Recount and a Lawsuit to Determine Winner for Governor — 1 Comment

  1. Mary Alice Herbert, mentioned above, was the Liberty Union Party of Vermont’s candidate for Lieutenant Governor in 2006. Before that, in 2004, she was the nominee of the Socialist Party USA for Vice President. Walt Brown was the Socialist Party USA’s candidate for President that year.

    This should be an especially interesting election year in Vermont for those of us who belong to the Socialist Party USA.

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