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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Politics
Chris Riotta

Vermont primary - LIVE: Folasade Adeluola faces Bernie Sanders in democratic race as Phil Scott seeks second term as governor

Bernie Sanders has won the Democratic Senate primary in Vermont, beating Folasade Adeluola as he seeks a third term in office.

With 10 per cent of precincts reporting, the Associated Press called the race, showing Mr Sanders carrying 94 percent of the vote. It was not immediately clear which Republican he will face in the general election in November.

Mr Sanders' win does not come as a surprise. The self-described Democratic Socialist won re-election in 2012 with about 71 per cent of the vote. Before that, in 2006, he carried about 65 per cent of the vote.

While Mr Sanders won the Democratic nomination, he is widely expected to reject it. Doing so has become a regular move for the notably independent senator over the years.

Elsewhere Phil Scott, the Republican governor in the reliably Democratic state, is running for re-election despite growing concerns from the right surrounding his stance on gun control. After passing a series of measures tightening gun restrictions in Vermont, guns rights groups like the Gun Owners of Vermont launched a campaign calling on voters to write-in other conservative candidates, including Keith Stern and John Rodgers. 

Ethan Sonneborn is one of those candidates. He’s a 14-year-old progressive who decided to launch his campaign after violence erupted last year during a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, North Carolina. State law allows anyone who has lived in Vermont for four years to run for governor after securing enough signatures to get on the ballot, making Mr Sonneborn legally qualified despite his age. 

While his campaign has only raised a reported $1,700, other progressive candidates appear to be viable contenders for the governor’s mansion. Christine Hallquist, a transgender woman and former executive of the Vermont Electric Co-Operative, would be the first transgender gubernatorial candidate from a major political party if she were to win the Democratic nomination. 

She's ran on a platform of addressing local and state issues, from rural economic development to climate change, and has described her gender as just one of many defining traits. 

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The Republican race to face Ned Lamont is much closer, with Bob Stefanowski currently leading with nearly 28 per cent of the vote. However, the vote is quite evenly split across four of the candidates with 25 per cent of precincts reporting.
On the Democrat side, Christine Hallquist, who is seeking to become the country's first transgender governor, is leading over the three other candidates, with 45 per cent of the vote.
Phil Scott has the lead in the Republican primary for governor in Vermont, the incumbent currently holding 64 per cent of the vote over Keith Stern.
Small-business owner Matthew Corey has won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Connecticut and will face an uphill battle against Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy. 

In today's primary the Manchester Republican defeated Dominic Rapini, a national accounts manager for Apple computers. 

Mr Corey is a U.S. Navy veteran and owner of a Hartford pub and a window-washing business. He earlier unsuccessfully challenged Democratic U.S. Rep. John Larson. 

Mr Corey has called for more investment in small businesses in low-income communities. He's also supportive of apprenticeship programs, corporate tax reform and a tax credit for home school parents. 

As of July 25, records show Mr Corey had raised about $31,000 in campaign funds compared with nearly $13.5 million for Mr Murphy. 

There was no primary on the Democratic side. 
 
AP
For an overview of the four states holding elections today - and why they're so important - check out the video at the top of this article.
Businessman Ned Lamont has won the Democratic nomination for Connecticut governor, defeating Bridgeport mayor and ex-convict Joe Ganim. 

Mr Lamont's victory comes 12 years after he defeated U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman in a Democratic showdown, only to lose the general election when Mr Lieberman ran as an independent. That race was seen as part of a national referendum on the Iraq War. 

Mr Lamont has said he'll "save Connecticut" from President Donald Trump's policies, whether it's the weakening of environmental standards or abortion access. 

Mr Lamont says he'll bring a businessman's approach to solving the state's fiscal woes. He supports unions and a higher minimum wage. 

Mr Ganim was elected Bridgeport mayor in 2015 despite serving seven years in prison for public corruption. 

Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy decided against running for a third term. 
 
AP
As results for Vermont begin to come in, we can soon expect Connecticut to follow suit. Wisconsin and Minnesota will be slightly later on in the evening as polls close at 9pm.
Bernie Sanders defeated little-known candidate Folasade Adeluola. Mr Sanders is thought to be considering a presidential run in 2020 and is already on Vermont's November ballot as an independent.
Bernie Sanders has won Vermont's Democratic Senate primary but is expected to turn down the nomination
Senator Chris Murphy is advancing to the November election after sailing through the primaries without facing a challenger from his Democratic Party. 

 
Republican Keith Ellison, running for Minnesota attorney general, recently denied allegations of domestic abuse made by his ex-girlfriend, Karen Monahan. 
The accusation surfaced days before the election when the son of Ms Monahan posted online that he had seen angry text messages from Mr Ellison to his mother and a video that showed him dragging Monahan off a bed. 
Early figures show voter turnout in Connecticut's primaries, according to Associated Press.
Secretary of the State Denise Merrill says turnout was around 15 to 16 per cent with 153 of Connecticut's 169 towns reporting as of about 3 p.m. Tuesday. That figure doesn't include the major cities. 
In Vermont, where polls have now closed, Republican Gov. Phil Scott is facing a challenge from Springfield businessman Keith Stern.
Four Democrats are seeking the party's nomination to run for governor. They include a former utility executive who, if elected, would become the nation's first transgender governor, and a 14-year-old boy who is taking advantage of a quirk in state law that does not require gubernatorial candidates to be registered voters.
Sen. Bernie Sanders is appearing on the Democratic ballot, even though he's already registered to run in November as an independent.
Democratic US Rep. Peter Welch is also facing a primary challenge.
Polls in Minnesota and Wisconsin will close at 9pm local time. Connecticut will be 8pm.
Despite being a historically blue state, Republicans are trying to take both the governor's mansion and Connecticut's open Fifth Congressional District. These races could prove to be closer than previous years due to the unpopularity of current Democrat Governor Dannel Malloy.
The polls have now closed in Vermont. They are currently still open in Wisconsin, Connecticut and Minnesota.
In other US news, an active shooter situation has been reported in a Pennsylvania Walmart 
States such as Wisconsin and Minnesota helped drive Donald Trump'€™s 2016 election win two years ago. The results of today's primaries will be a good marker for how the Democrats will fair in November's midterm elections.
One of the four Democrats standing in Vermont's governor race is Christine Hallquist, who would be America's first transgender governor. 
Ms Hallquist was the first CEO to transition while in her job, according to political action committee the Victory Fund.
Democrat Randy Bryce, ironworker and union organizer vying for Paul Ryan's seat in Wisconsin shares photo encouraging people to make it to the polls before they close at 9pm local time. 
 


 
 

Vermont isn’t the only state holding a primary on Tuesday — Minnesota, Wisconsin and Connecticut also held elections to determine which candidates will face off come November.

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