Vermont Democrats for the first time nominated a Black woman to be the party’s standard bearer for the state’s top job, as former Middlebury Selectboard member Esther Charlestin handily won her gubernatorial primary on Monday.
Charlestin defeated controversial former Underhill Selectboard member Peter Duvall to become the party’s nominee. Political observers say Charlestin, who has never run for statewide office before, faces long odds in a November face-off against the popular incumbent Republican Gov. Phil Scott, who did not face a primary challenger this year.
Charleston told Seven Days she was excited not only to be the first Black woman nominated by a major party to be governor in Vermont, but to be the second in the nation.
As for the challenge of taking on Scott in the fall, she said she’s not worried. “I will show up as myself and let the people decide,” she said.
The lieutenant governor’s race was more competitive. Incumbent David Zuckerman, a Progressive who also runs as a Democrat, fended off a challenge for the Democratic line from Winooski City Council member Thomas Renner. He’s a newcomer to the statewide political stage who nevertheless had support from some influential Democratic figures.
Zuckerman prevailed despite an August 6 story in VTDigger.org describing complaints by female lawmakers. It detailed how Zuckerman made them uncomfortable by offering free feminine hygiene products he was keeping in his Statehouse office. Zuckerman said he was just trying to be helpful.
Zuckerman will face off in November against Northeast Kingdom cannabis farmer and former senator John Rodgers, who won the Republican primary. Rodgers, who was a Democrat when he served in the House and Senate, switched parties, saying Democrats have become too liberal. He handily beat Rutland accountant Gregory Thayer, a supporter of Donald Trump.
There were no competitive primaries for other statewide races — attorney general, treasurer, secretary of state and auditor — nor any for the state’s three congressional seats.
Correction, August 14, 2024: A previous version of this story failed to note that the secretary of state’s job was also on the primary ballot Tuesday.
This article appears in Aug 7-13, 2024.
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