Tuesday, November 8, 2016
The Middlesex Democrat, who first won office in the post-Watergate year of 1974, defeated Pomfret Republican Scott Milne 60 to 33 percent. The AP called the race at 6:59 p.m., just a moment before polls closed in Vermont.
Around 8:20 p.m., Leahy, wife Marcelle and several of their grandchildren took to the stage of the Hilton Burlington as the Grateful Dead’s “Truckin’” played on the P.A.
“It has been a long strange trip, to quote Jerry Garcia,” the senator told a crowd of jubilant Democrats.
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The Associated Press called Vermont for Clinton at 6:59 p.m. — just before polls closed around the state — making it the first in the nation to land in the Democrat's column.
The outcome in Vermont was never in doubt. The state has not backed a Republican presidential candidate since 1988, when then-vice president George H.W. Bush defeated Massachusetts' Democratic governor, Michael Dukakis. Though Trump narrowly won Vermont's presidential primary election in March, he never came within 25 points of Clinton in state general-election polling.
With nearly every precinct reporting early Wednesday, Clinton was leading Trump in Vermont 56.3 to 30 percent. Nearly 6.5 percent wrote in another option — many, presumably, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Libertarian Gary Johnson took 3 percent of the vote and Green Party nominee Jill Stein 2 percent.
Over the past year, a series of prominent Vermont Republicans distanced themselves from Trump, saying they would write in other candidates for president. Those included Lt. Gov. Phil Scott, who would go on to win the governor's race Tuesday, lieutenant gubernatorial nominee Randy Brock, U.S. Senate nominee Scott Milne and the party's legislative leaders, Sen. Joe Benning (R-Caledonia) and Rep. Don Turner (R-Milton). On Tuesday, Scott said he'd decided in the end to cast his presidential ballot for Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who came in a close second to Trump in Vermont's presidential primary.
Vermont played an outsized role in the early months of the 2016 presidential election, when home-state Sen. Sanders mounted a spirited campaign to seize the Democratic nomination from Clinton. But after Sanders endorsed Clinton in July, the state largely dropped off the presidential map.
Clinton did not once campaign in Vermont, while Trump held a single rally at Burlington's Flynn Center for the Performing Arts in January.
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The sale is subject to approval by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Vermont Public Service Board. The deal is expected to close by the end of 2018.
"By accelerating decommissioning, we are fulfilling a commitment we made in 2013 to decommission Vermont Yankee as soon as reasonably possible," said Bill Mohl, president of Entergy Wholesale Commodities, in a statement.
"Decommissioning and site restoration, drawing on NorthStar's expertise, will provide economic development for the region."
NorthStar and its partners specialize in demolition, wrecking and asbestos abatement. The group has dismantled and remediated at least 300 nuclear and nonnuclear power plants over the past 15 years.
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Monday, November 7, 2016
Democrats, who have run the Vermont House since 2005 and the Senate since 1997, are almost certain to keep their mitts on both when they return to Montpelier in January. They currently hold 85 of 150 seats in the House and — including Democratic/Progressive hybrids — 21 of 30 seats in the Senate.
But there are a few legislative races to watch in Vermont. And depending on how they turn out, Republicans could conceivably make some gains in the House — and Democrats could end up with an even tighter grip on the Senate. Then there's the Vermont Progressive Party, whose focus on legislative races seems likely to bear fruit this year.
Here's what to watch on election night:
The Senate:
Most Vermont political observers agree that Franklin County is the one true battleground in this year's state Senate races. Republicans currently hold both seats in the two-member district, though one incumbent, Sen. Norm McAllister (R-Franklin), was suspended in January over sexual assault allegations — and subsequently lost his August primary. The other is Sen. Dustin Degree (R-Franklin).
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Parents Ed Stanak and Joelen Mulvaney taught their two children that you can and should fight city hall. The message took root. Llu’s first job out of college was at Outright Vermont, going to bat for young queer Vermonters’ rights. Emma served on the Burlington City Council and, in 2013, was named chair of the Vermont Progressive Party.
The family has, all this time, hung together when it comes to politics. But 2016 is no ordinary year. This time around, the Mulvaney-Stanak clan is split.
Last week, Ed Stanak publicly declared himself a supporter of Republican gubernatorial candidate Phil Scott. On a list of Democrats, Progressives and independents supporting Scott, Stanak’s name stood out more than most.
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Sunday, November 6, 2016
"I have had an extraordinary year — really, 13 months — traveling this state and meeting so many people in so many corners and, yes, learning about the incredible challenges we all face," the former transportation secretary told a crowd of 60 supporters in the dimly lit brewpub. "And to be at this point — two days away!"
As Minter herself acknowledged, it was anything but clear whether she would prevail over Republican Lt. Gov. Phil Scott on Tuesday in her bid to become the 82nd — and second female — governor in the history of Vermont.
"It is neck and neck, folks," she said.
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The two pols, volunteers and staff — plus Scott's longtime friend, Sen. Dick Mazza (D-Grand Isle) — waved to each passing car, encouraged by every wave or thumbs-up that was returned.
In the final days before this hard-fought election, the candidates said they had no idea whether the honk-and-wave wins over voters. But across North Avenue, Democratic attorney general candidate T.J. Donovan was spending his time the same way. The soccer games brought lots of potential voters from Burlington, Colchester, Essex and Manchester.
Bothering parents with face-to-face campaigning on the soccer sidelines was a bad idea, said Donovan, a BHS grad, but greeting them as they drove in and out was a safe alternative.
On his side of the street, Scott, who's never lost an election in five state Senate campaigns and three for lieutenant governor, said, "I don't know what works and what doesn't. People want to see you out, reminding them who you are."
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A few minutes into his prepared remarks at Waterworks Food + Drink restaurant, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee pulled a smartphone out of his pocket and told a crowd of three dozen supporters that he had received an "extremely important" email "in the last few minutes."
"I thought you might be interested if I read it," he said, pausing as he searched his inbox for the message, which had not yet been reported on by the national news media.
The letter, which Leahy proceeded to read in full, was an update from FBI Director James Comey, who had stunned the political world a week earlier with the news that his agency had discovered new emails on a laptop owned by former congressman Anthony Weiner involving Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. In his update, according to Leahy, Comey told top members of Congress that an expedited review of the new emails had found nothing requiring further law enforcement action.
"Based on our review, we have not changed our conclusion that we expressed in July with respect to Secretary Clinton," Leahy read as a rapt audience of Democrats listened closely.
Audience members let out a roar of approval.
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A Seven Days analysis of campaign finance reports filed with the Secretary of State's Office found that candidates, parties, political action committees and super PACs have spent more than $12.9 million on the race to replace retiring Gov. Peter Shumlin. Given ongoing spending patterns, it appears likely that the final tally will exceed the record $13.7 million spent on Vermont's 2006 U.S. Senate race between then-congressman Bernie Sanders and Republican businessman Rich Tarrant.
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Friday, November 4, 2016
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Sue Minter raised more than twice as much as her Republican rival, Lt. Gov. Phil Scott, in the final fundraising period of Vermont’s 2016 election.
According to disclosures filed Friday with the Secretary of State’s Office, Minter collected more than $446,000 in direct donations and in-kind contributions during a 20-day stretch ending November 2. In that same period, Scott raised just shy of $213,000.
That brings Minter’s total fundraising haul this campaign to $2.16 million and Scott’s to $1.53 million. With just days remaining before the November 8 election, Minter’s campaign said it had $74,339 left in the bank, while Scott’s reported $11,687.
A third candidate, Liberty Union nominee Bill Lee, has reported no fundraising activity this cycle.
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