The latest subject of speculation to formally pull out: former Barre mayor Thom Lauzon, who’d been pondering a Republican candidacy for lieutenant governor. The deciding factor, he said, was his wife, Karen. “She said, ‘Do you really have a passion for the job?’ I said, ‘No, because I don’t really know what the job is!'”
Republicans did get a late challenger to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.): Manchester real estate agent Lawrence Zupan, who’s virtually unknown in Vermont political circles. Zupan joins Burlington attorney Jasdeep Pannu and perpetual candidate H. Brooke Paige of Washington on the Republican primary ballot, contending for the chance to challenge Sanders, the most popular politician in the state. He happens to have more than $6 million in his reelection war chest. (A necessary caveat: Petitions must be checked by the Secretary of State’s office, so the candidates listed in this column are not yet official.)
In the August primary, Sanders will face long-odds Democratic challengers Rocky de la Fuente, a Californian best known as a fringe candidate for president; and Folasade Adeluola, a resident of Indiana whose petitions list a Shelburne motel as her official residence.
U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) has attracted two Democratic primary challengers: Dan Freilich, a physician at the VA Medical Center in White River Junction, and Bellows Falls resident Benjamin Mitchell, who heads an academy for at-risk high school students in Keene, N.H. Two candidates have filed on the Republican side: Paige and Anya Tynio, a resident of West Charleston who’s a sales rep for the Newport Daily Express.
Otherwise, the Republican cupboard was awfully bare, especially in the five non-gubernatorial statewide races: for lieutenant governor, attorney general, treasurer, auditor and secretary of state.
House minority leader Don Turner (R-Milton) will face incumbent Progressive/Democrat Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, but otherwise the statewide Republican primary ballot will be a one-man show. Paige, best known for his top hat and formal dress, has filed for all five of those offices, in addition to Senate and U.S. House. He somehow restrained himself from filing for governor.
His filings may seem little more than a curiosity, but he could prove to be an obstacle for the VTGOP. If an office attracts no candidates from a given party, that party can select a candidate to fill the slot. Paige’s presence would prevent the Republicans from choosing a candidate for, say, auditor or treasurer — unless he withdraws.
Why the blizzard of filings? “I want to point out how bad our primary process is,” Paige said. “I think we should have closed party primaries or, in a small state like Vermont, caucuses would be ideal.”
Paige said he doesn’t plan to stand in the way of legitimate Republican candidates who may emerge down the road. He is open to withdrawing after the primary from any race in which a worthy Republican steps forward.
The Democratic field for governor will include the four declared candidates: Christine Hallquist, Ethan Sonneborn, James Ehlers and Brenda Siegel. Attorney General T.J. Donovan, Secretary of State Jim Condos and State Treasurer Beth Pearce all filed for reelection, as did Prog/Dems Zuckerman and Auditor Doug Hoffer. (Ehlers and Siegel were the last statewide candidates to file petitions, late Thursday afternoon.)
More petitions for the state legislature could filter in for the next few days. Those candidates had to file by 5 p.m. Thursday with town or county clerks, but it may take a little time for the petitions to reach the Secretary of State’s Office. But as of Thursday, it was looking like slim pickings for the VTGOP — especially in the House, where the party will be trying to keep enough seats to sustain gubernatorial vetoes. That’s 51; the Republicans currently have 53 seats in the House.
As of midafternoon, a mere 59 Republicans had filed petitions. The Democrats had fielded a healthy 107. Republicans will still be able to choose candidates to fill empty slots on the ballot. But so far, a heavy recruitment effort by the state party has yielded a thin harvest.
The Secretary of State’s Office will issue a final list of August primary candidates within a few days.
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John writes “ff an office attracts no candidates from a given party, that party can select a candidate to fill the slot. Paige’s presence would prevent the Republicans from choosing a candidate for, say, auditor or treasurer unless he withdraws.” – however John knows this is not how things have worked out in recent years as the Democrats have regularly crossed over and taken Republican ballots in their balloted candidate on the “R” ballot – making their candidate the “winner” in the Republican primary – thus preventing “party from choosing a candidate” for the general election, It is my intention to bow out, after the primary, from any office the party finds a worthy candidate to nominate by committee.
John knows all of this as we discussed it in a half hour interview this evening – I don’t understand why he would report otherwise.
Quoting Paige: “… this is not how things have worked out in recent years as the Democrats have regularly crossed over and taken Republican ballots in their balloted candidate on the “R” ballot – making their candidate the “winner” in the Republican primary – ….”
First off I want to thank Paige for finally admitting he is nothing more then a paperweight for the Republican Party. Secondly, I would like to see the evidence Paige has to support his calumny.
“Democrats have regularly crossed over and taken Republican ballots in their balloted candidate on the “R” ballot – making their candidate the “winner” in the Republican primary – thus preventing “party from choosing a candidate” for the general election,” It’s the democrat way to take over Vermont by CHEATING/UNDERHANDED of getting complete control. Get a democrat to run as a republican and once in office vote democrat. can you say friggin SNEAKY like Clintons !!!
Just like Sanders don’t know why he just doesn’t leave the D after his name.. he has always voted with the democrats.. Why the 6 million to run is he just showing off that he made millions from being paid off to leave the presidential race???
Rama Schneider – One need look no further than the 2016 election to learn that 800+ Democrats statewide “crossed over” and took Republican ballots voted writing-in the Democrat names printed on the Democrat primary ballot – precluding the Republicans having the opportunity to place candidates on the general election using the “nomination by committee” process provided for under Title 17. You may remember Peter Welch bragging he was doing “such a great job that even the Republicans had made him their candidate !” Peter was clueless that it was his Democrat loyalists that had engineered his Republican primary victory ! Rama, there is overwhelming proof at the SOS elections result web site that this is how Condos, Pierce and Hoffer also won the Republican primary due to the same Democrat Party ‘slight of hand !”
John Walters, While Rocky de la Fuente traditionally files as a Democrat, this time out he has filed as a Republican. The candidate list is correct, I called Senning to confirm before posting the information here !