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Vermont Republican Party

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The Vermont Republican Party is the affiliate of the Republican Party in Vermont and has been active since its foundation in the 1860s. The party is the second largest in the state behind the Vermont Democratic Party, but ahead of the Vermont Progressive Party. The party historically dominated Vermont politics until the mid-20th century, but was replaced by the Vermont Democratic Party. The party currently has very weak federal electoral power in the state, controlling none of Vermont's federal elected offices. The only statewide office that the party currently controls is the governorship, held by Phil Scott.

Vermont Republican Party
ChairmanPaul Dame
GovernorPhil Scott
Senate Minority LeaderRandy Brock
House Minority LeaderPatricia McCoy
FoundedJuly 13, 1854; 170 years ago (1854-07-13)
HeadquartersMontpelier, Vermont
IdeologyConservatism
National affiliationRepublican Party
Colors  Red
Seats in the U.S. Senate
0 / 2
Seats in the U.S. House
0 / 1
Statewide Offices
1 / 6
Seats in the State Senate
7 / 30
Seats in the State House
37 / 150
Elected County Judges
7 / 42
Countywide Offices
5 / 42
Mayorships
1 / 8
Burlington City Council
0 / 12
Election symbol
Website
www.vtgop.org

Unlike most other state affiliates of the Republican Party, the Vermont Republican Party tends to hold more moderate views. This is because Vermont is widely regarded as one of the most liberal and progressive states in the nation.[1] Vermont Republicans also tend to be more anti-Trumpist than Republicans in other states; indeed, Republican Governor Phil Scott voted for Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election[2][3][4] and acknowledged his victory[5] (despite many Republicans claiming the election was rigged).

In the 2024 primaries, the Vermont primary was one of only two races that Donald Trump did not carry (the other being the District of Columbia primary).[6][7][8]

History

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Newspaper editor Eliakim Persons Walton condemned the 1854 Whig Convention for not being against slavery strongly. The first convention of the Vermont Republican Party was held on July 13, 1854, in Montpelier, Vermont. The party was organized, nominated candidates for office, selected delegates to the Republican National Convention, and approved a platform. The convention was meant to be held on July 4, but was delayed to July 13 as to be on the anniversary of the Northwest Ordinance. Had the convention been held on July 4, it would have been the first Republican convention held instead of the one conducted by the Michigan Republican Party.[9][10][11][12] Lawrence Brainerd was selected to serve as president of the convention.[13]

Walton was initially selected to serve as the party's gubernatorial nominee in the 1854 election, but he withdrew and the party selected to give its nomination to Stephen Royce, who was a member of the Whig Party and had already been nominated to serve as their gubernatorial candidate.[14][15] Royce accepted the party's nomination and won the 1854 gubernatorial election.[16][17] The Whig Party of Vermont disbanded and merged with the Republicans in 1854, and Joyce won reelected in the 1855 gubernatorial election with the Republican nomination.[18][19][20][21]

The party won every statewide election from 1854 to 1958, won every presidential election from 1856 to 1960, and held the governorship from 1854 to 1963.[22][23]

William H. Meyer won election to the United States House of Representatives from Vermont's at-large congressional district in 1958, becoming the first Democrat to win statewide since 1853. Senator Barry Goldwater, the Republican presidential nominee for the 1964 presidential election, became the first Republican to not win Vermont in a presidential election as he lost the state to incumbent Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson.[22][24] Philip H. Hoff's victory in the 1962 gubernatorial election made him the first member of the Democratic Party to hold Vermont's governorship since the 1853 gubernatorial election.[24]

Vermont only elected Republicans to the United States Senate for 118 years.[25] Patrick Leahy's victory in the 1974 Senate election made him the first member of the Democratic Party elected to the United States Senate from Vermont.[24] Senator Jim Jeffords left the Republican Party on May 24, 2001, to become an independent and caucus with the Democratic Party which gave them the majority in the United States Senate.[26]

The party controlled all of the seats in the Vermont Senate after the 1924 election. The Democrats gained control of the state senate for the first time after the 1986 election.[27] The party received its lowest amount of seats in the state senate since its foundation in the 2018 election.[28]

In the 2024 elections, owing to strong coattails from Scott, the party won the lieutenant gubernatorial election with John S. Rodgers, and also made significant gains in the state Senate as well as the House, breaking Democratic supermajorities in both chambers. They won 13 of 30 Senate districts - their best total since the 2000s - with Democrats and Progressives combining for the other 17.[29]

Current elected officials

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The Vermont Republican Party controls one of the six statewide offices.

Members of Congress

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  • None

Statewide offices

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Legislative

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Municipal

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Electoral performance

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State legislature

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References

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  1. ^ "Joe Benning: To succeed, Vermont Republican Party must be center-right". VTDigger. November 23, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  2. ^ Mastrangelo, Dominick (November 3, 2020). "Vermont's GOP governor says he voted for Biden". The Hill. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  3. ^ "Vermont's Phil Scott is the only GOP governor to vote Biden". The Independent. November 4, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  4. ^ "'I had to vote against': Republican Gov. Phil Scott votes for Biden over Trump". Burlington Free Press. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  5. ^ "Statement from Governor Phil Scott on the Presidential Election | Office of Governor Phil Scott". governor.vermont.gov. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  6. ^ "Anti-Trump Republicans in Vermont recalibrate after Haley drops out of race". Vermont Public. March 15, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  7. ^ Heintz, Emma Cotton, Paul (March 6, 2024). "Nikki Haley wins Vermont, the only state to spurn Donald Trump in the Republican presidential primary". VTDigger. Retrieved May 8, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Dorn, Sara. "Haley Wins Vermont Republican Primary In Upset—Foiling Trump's Super Tuesday Sweep". Forbes. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  9. ^ "The Mass Convention". Middlebury Register. July 19, 1854. p. 2. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "The Second Amalgamation Convention". The Burlington Weekly Sentinel. July 20, 1854. p. 2. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "The GOP Is Born". Rutland Herald. March 3, 1991. p. 56. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Doyle 1992, p. 132.
  13. ^ "Death of Hon. Lawrence Brainerd". Rutland Herald. May 12, 1870. p. 4. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Vermont Whig Convention". Daily National Era. June 8, 1854. p. 3. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Republican Party Gives Its Nomination To Stephen Royce". The Burlington Weekly Sentinel. August 18, 1854. p. 2. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Letters of Acceptance, from Judge Royce and Gen. Fletcher". The Burlington Weekly Sentinel. August 23, 1854. p. 2. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "1854 Vermont gubernatorial election". The Burlington Weekly Sentinel. October 26, 1854. p. 2. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "The Lesson of the November Elections". Vermont Weekly Tribune. November 24, 1854. p. 2. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "The Whig Party Defunct". Argus and Patriot. May 17, 1855. p. 2. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "1855 Republican Convention". Vermont Watchman and State Journal. July 20, 1855. p. 2. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "1855 Vermont gubernatorial election". Vermont Chronicle. October 16, 1855. p. 3. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ a b "Green Old Party". Seven Days. July 2, 2003. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021.
  23. ^ "'New' Vermont Is Liberal, but 'Old' Vermont Is Still There". FiveThirtyEight. October 1, 2012. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021.
  24. ^ a b c "The First Half-Century of Republican Rule". Rutland Herald. March 3, 1993. p. 56. Archived from the original on June 15, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ "Leahy Edges Mallary In Nip-and-tuck Race". The Burlington Free Press. November 6, 1974. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 15, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "Jeffords bolts GOP; Democrats poised to take over". CNN. May 24, 2001. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021.
  27. ^ "Vermont's Legislature Shows A Growing Pattern of Change". Rutland Herald. September 18, 1994. p. 46. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "McCoy elected as new House minority leader; Benning back in the Senate". Vermont Digger. November 29, 2018. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021.
  29. ^ Weinstein, Ethan (November 6, 2024). "Republicans flip six seats in the Vermont Senate, shattering Democratic supermajority". VTDigger. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
  30. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at Hand, Marshall & Sanford 1985, p. 151.

Works cited

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