It is primary day all across Vermont. Today, voters will select candidates for statewide and legislative offices for Vermont's three major political parties — the Republicans, the Democrats and the Progressives.
The winners will then meet in the November election, along with any independent candidates and minor party candidates who qualify to be on the ballot.
More from Vermont Public: Vermont state primaries 2024: Voter guide
Vermont Public's Bob Kinzel spoke with Vermont Edition host Mikaela Lefrak about some of the races and candidates. This interview was produced for the ear. We highly recommend listening to the audio. We’ve also provided a transcript, which has been edited for length and clarity.
Mikaela Lefrak: Let's look at some logistical issues first. What do folks need to know about voting today?
Bob Kinzel: The most important thing is the actual purpose of a primary election. It's the way that the major political parties select their candidates for the general election. That's why voters are given three ballots — Democrat, Republican and Progressive. They choose the party primary they want to participate in. The other two ballots are discarded. And unlike the March presidential primary, no one knows which ballot a voter selected. No record is kept whatsoever.
Now, polls open at various times, but they must all stay open until 7 this evening, and people who still have an early ballot can bring them into their local polling place. And, Vermont has same-day voter registration, so that's still possible.
Mikaela Lefrak: Alright, so there is a lot going on this primary day. Maybe not as exciting and fraught as previous years, but still a number of contested races that folks will weigh in on. Bob, tell us about the Republican contest for lieutenant governor.
Bob Kinzel: You know, Mikaela, I think this race is going to be a very good indicator of the strength of the Trump wing of the Vermont Republican Party. There's Rutland accountant Greg Thayer. He's pro-Trump. He says Trump needs to be reelected to restore order and Christian values in this country. And he believes that Trump won the 2020 election. Now, he ran for lieutenant governor back in 2022, he got 44% of the vote in a primary against Caledonia Sen. Joe Benning, so he has a base of support.
And there's John Rodgers, he's a farmer from Glover. He actually served for 16 years as a Democrat in both the Vermont House and Senate, and he says he's running now as a Republican because the Democratic Party has become too progressive. Rodgers says lawmakers need to pay more attention to basic economic issues like the cost of living before they try to tackle issues like climate change. He says he represents the Phil Scott wing of the Republican Party. So the results will tell us something about the makeup of the Republican Party in Vermont.
Mikaela Lefrak: Tell us about the Democrats' contested race for lieutenant governor. What's going on in that contest?
Bob Kinzel: This is a fascinating contest. It features incumbent Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman and Thomas Renner, who is the deputy mayor in Winooski. They've both taken progressive positions on many, many issues. Now, Zuckerman has served three terms as lieutenant governor. He also ran for governor back in 2020 against Phil Scott and lost. Previously, he has served in both the House and the Senate, so he's really a veteran at the Statehouse.
Renner wants to use Zuckerman's experience as a liability. He argues, "Hey, it's time for a change. It's time to bring in the voices of younger political leaders." At his website, Renner says, quote, "as a Black gay man, I've dedicated myself to fighting systemic racism," and he says he's the best candidate to address the concerns of marginalized Vermonters.
And Mikaela, there's another factor in this race. Renner has been endorsed by some moderate Democrats who would like to defeat Zuckerman to send a message to the Progressive Party. I think that message is, "Hey, you have your own party. Stop trying to redefine the Democratic Party." And it looks like voter turnout will be a key factor in this race.
Mikaela Lefrak: Well, the Democrats also have a primary to select their gubernatorial candidate to run against Phil Scott, the incumbent governor. Of course, he's running for a fifth term. What's the democratic contest shaping up to look like?
Bob Kinzel: Well, Mikaela, there are two candidates: Esther Charlestin and Peter Duval. Charlestin is a former member of the Middlebury Select Board, and is co-chair of the Governor's Commission on Women and a small business owner. If she wins, I believe she will be the first Black woman to run for governor in Vermont.
Now, Duval had a somewhat controversial stint on the Underhill Select Board several years ago. He's identified climate change as a major issue facing the state, and he's proposed taking steps to reduce Vermont's reliance on cars by boosting public transportation.
But generally, this has been a pretty quiet race, where both candidates have focused on economic, environmental and health care issues. And I've got to say it's a tough race for whoever wins, because Vermont has only defeated one, one incumbent governor in the last 75 years. Now that was back in 1962 when Republican F. Ray Keyser lost to Democrat Phil Hoff, making Hoff the first democratic governor in Vermont history. And on top of that, this year Phil Scott is considered to be one of the most popular governors in the country.
Mikaela Lefrak: Bob, you always have the best political trivia. Well, let's move our way down the ballot a little bit. What are some of the legislative races that you'll be following?
Bob Kinzel: Well, there's one senate race we're definitely following. It's in a district known as Chittenden Central. There are three incumbents in this race: Senate President Pro Tem Phil Baruth, and first time Sens. Tanya Vyhovsky And Martine Gulick. Now they're being challenged by longtime TV newsperson Stewart Ledbetter, who's raised a bunch of money for this race. Now, this is considered to be a pretty progressive district, and these three incumbents are running as a team. But the question is, how much will name recognition matter to voters? Because that's something Ledbetter has, and we'll find out when we see the results.
And another race we're looking at is the Windham House 7 District. Incumbent Emilie Kornheiser is being challenged by Amanda Ellis-Thurber who's a farmer. Tax issues are front and center in this race, and that's because Kornheiser is the chair of the House Ways and Means committee, and she played a key role in the whole property tax debate at the Statehouse this year. She also favors a new tax on wealthy people. In contrast, Thurber has been very critical of the way the property tax debate was handled at the Statehouse, and she says Vermont doesn't need higher tax rates. It, it needs more taxpayers. So we'll see what voters think.
And then the big question for the November election is if the Democrats will be able to maintain their supermajorities in the House and the Senate — and the results of today's primary races could have an impact on that outcome.
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