Progressives announce slate of 21 candidates

The Vermont Liberty Union Party, which gained major party status in the 2012 election, is also fielding a slate of statewide candidates and a candidate for the House of Representatives, who may be the sole challenger to U.S. Rep. Peter Welch.

Progressive Party officials touted “real growth” in the number of candidates compared to 2012.

Progressives will not run a candidate for governor. The party endorsed Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin in the last two elections. Progressives support the governor’s single-payer health plan and his push to close the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. In 2008, state Sen. Anthony Pollina, then running for governor, beat out Democrat Gaye Symington, but both lost to Republican Gov. Jim Douglas.

Many of the candidates on the Progressive slate are running as both Progressives and Democrats.

Doug Hoffer, the state auditor, is the Progs’ standard-bearer for statewide officeholders. Hoffer also ran as a Democrat when he was elected on his second try in 2012.

The other three statewide candidates — Dean Corren for lieutenant governor, Don Schramm for state treasurer, and Ben Eastwood for secretary of state — have not previously held statewide office and they are running solely on the Progressive ticket. Schramm lost his bid for state treasurer in 2012. Corren, a state representative from 1993 to 2000 and a former staffer for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, will be seeking public financing.

The Progs see Corren, the chief technology officer for Verdant Power, as the lead newcomer in this election.

The Progressives hope to hang on to their three state Senate seats, held by Sens. Tim Ashe, Anthony Pollina and David Zuckerman. Ashe, who is now the chair of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, has run as a Democrat first and Progressive second. Pollina is listed a Progressive/Democrat, and Zuckerman is a Progressive, with no letter D attached.

The Progressives’ House candidates include five incumbents — Chris Pearson, Chittenden 6-4; Cindy Weed, Franklin-7; Susan Hatch Davis, Orange-1; Mollie Burke, Windham 2-2; and Sandy Haas, Windsor-Rutland.

The nine new candidates are: Amy Sheldon, Addison 1; Robert Millar, Chittenden 6-7; Carl Davis, Orleans 2; Jeremy Hansen and Marvin Malek, Washington 1; Glennie Sewell and Ivan Shadis, Washington 4; Teresa Ellsworth, Windham-Bennington-Windsor; and Stephanie Thompson, Windsor 3-2.