The results are in for the statewide primary to choose major party candidates − Democrats, Republicans and Progressives − to appear on the November ballot.
On the ballot in the statewide primary were candidates for U.S House and Senate, governor, various statewide offices, 30 state senator seats, 150 state representative seats, 1,800 justices of the peace and high bailiff.
In several of the top races, including those for the U.S. House and Senate, and for the Republican nomination for governor, had only one candidate each on the ballot.
Gov. Phil Scott, running unopposed, will be on the ballot to seek a fifth term in office. His Democratic opponent will be Esther Charlestin of Middlebury, while the Progressives nominated Marielle Blais of Brandon .
Both Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Becca Balint won the Democratic nomination to seek reelection to their respective seats.
Republicans chose Gerald Malloy of Weathersfield to face off against Sanders in November, and Mark Coester of Westminster to challenge Balint.
Primary winners will face off against each other and third party candidates in the general election on Nov. 5.
Bernie Sanders casts his ballot
Many Vermonters fail to turn out to vote in primary elections on Tuesday – but not U.S Sen. Bernie Sanders.
The veteran politician arrived around 11 a.m. at the Ward 7 polling station at the Robert Miller Community & Recreation Center in Burlington to vote in the statewide primary.
Constituents buzzed as the three-term senator – dressed in his signature casual attire, wind-tussled hair and rectangular glasses – hastened through the front-doors, somehow still managing to flash a subdued smile to all who met his gaze.
Not prone to dawdling, Sanders filled out and submitted his ballot within minutes. Apart from a few good-natured handshakes with election workers, and the frantic clicking of news cameras, Sanders entered and exited his polling station with little fanfare.
Out in the morning sunshine, Sanders met his cutest fan yet: a small, black-and-white pooch named Baby Yoda, clad in his Parks and Rec “security” vest, a “job” he has held for three years.
Once Sanders got a selfie with the 10-year-old pup, reporters from several news outlets swarmed the former Burlington mayor with cameras and microphones. During the three-and-a-half-minute press conference, Sanders mainly addressed the “very tough” national elections in November – despite having just voted in the primaries.
Sanders most notably called out GOP presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump for his claim that pictures showing thousands of attendees at a recent rally for Vice President Kamala Harris were faked.
“That’s really quite insane,” Sanders said, adding that Americans, regardless of political party, can all agree that “an outrageous liar” shouldn’t be in the White House.
Although Sanders expressed concern about “the massive amounts of disinformation” online, he dodged a question asking him if he supported social media regulation.
“That’s a discussion for another time,” he said.
Sander also said that he is “going to do everything I can to make sure” Democrats win the White House and both houses of Congress this year.
Visit the Free Press website at burlingtonfreepress.com for information on voting, early and absentee ballots and election fraud prevention in the state of Vermont.
Here are the unofficial results as reported by the Vermont Secretary of State's Office.
U.S. Senate
Democrat
- Winner - IncumbentBernie Sanders, Burlington - 48,225 votes, 93.85%
Republican
- Winner - Gerald Malloy, Weathersfield - 20,355 votes, 82.83%
U.S. House
Democrat:
- Winner - Incumbent Becca Balint,Brattleboro - 47,667 votes, 92.91%
Republican:
- Winner - Mark Coester, Westminster - 19,484 votes, 79.39%
Governor
Republican
- Winner - IncumbentPhil Scott - 23,064 votes, 93.07%
Democrat
- Winner - Esther Charlestin, Middlebury - 24,016 votes, 48.74%
- Peter K. Duval, Underhill - 9,387 votes, 19.05%
Progressive
- Winner - Marielle Blais, Brandon - 270 votes, 67.67%
Lieutenant governor
Democrat
- Thomas Renner, Winooski - 18,852 votes, 36.75%
- Winner - IncumbentDavid Zuckerman, Hinesburg - 28,705 votes, 55.96%
Republican
- Winner - John S. Rodgers, Glover - 13,833 votes, 34.81%
- Gregory M. Thayer, Rutland City - 8,582 votes, 56.04%
Progressive
- Winner - Zoraya Hightower, Burlington - 259 votes, 64.91%
Attorney general
Democrat
- Winner - IncumbentCharity R. Clark, Williston - 43,305 votes, 85.57%
Republican
- Winner - H. Brooke Paige, Washington - 18,069 votes, 74.21%
Progressive
- Winner - Elijah Bergman, Danby - 272 vote, 67.16%
Treasurer
Democrat
- Winner - IncumbentMike Pieciak, Winooski - 45,389 votes, 88.98%
Republican
- Winner - Joshua Bechhoefer, Cornwall - 19,274 votes, 78.77%
Progressive
- Winner - Tim Maciel, Brattleboro - 286, 70.62%
Auditor of accounts
Democrat
- Winner - IncumbentDoug Hoffer, Burlington - 43,906 votes, 86.79%
Republican
- Winner - H. Brooke Paige, Washington - 18, 114 votes, 74.36%
Progressive
- Winner - Linda Gravell, Waterbury - 68.81%
Secretary of state
Democrat
- Winner - IncumbentSarah Copeland Hanzas, Bradford - 43,209 votes, 85.46%
Republican
- Winner- H. Brooke Paige, Washington - 18,980 votes, 77.68%
Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at mstewartyounger@gannett.com.
