Vermont's at-large congressional district
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Vermont's 1st congressional district | |
|---|---|
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| Population (2000) | 608,827 |
| Median income | $40,856 |
| Ethnic composition | 96.8% White, 0.5% Black, 0.9% Asian, 0.9% Hispanic, 0.4% Native American, 0.1% other |
| Cook PVI | D+8 |
The U.S. state of Vermont is represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by a single at-large congressional district since the 1930 census, when Vermont lost its second seat in the House of Representatives. There were once six districts in Vermont. Bernard Sanders (Independent) held the seat from 1991 until 2007. Peter Welch is the current congressman following the 2006 elections.
Contents |
[edit] Recent elections
[edit] 2004 election
Incumbent Bernie Sanders ran for and won re-election.
| United States House election, 2004: Vermont At-large District | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Independent | Bernie Sanders | 205,774 | 67.5 | +2.8 | |
| Republican | Greg Parke | 74,271 | 24.4 | -7.7 | |
| Democratic | Larry Drown | 21,684 | 7.1 | +7.1 | |
| Liberty Union | Jane Newton | 3,018 | 1.0 | -0.3 | |
| Majority | 131,503 | 43.1 | |||
| Turnout | 304,747 | ||||
| Independent hold | Swing | +5.3 | |||
[edit] 2006 election
- Further information: U.S. House elections, 2006
Sanders ran for and won the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Jim Jeffords.
Vermont Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Welch (D-Windsor County) was the Democratic nominee and the eventual winner.
Three candidates competed for the Republican nomination:
- Major General Martha Rainville, USANG (ret) (R), former Adjutant General of the Vermont National Guard.
- Vermont State Senator Mark Shepard (R-Bennington County).
- Republican businessman Dennis Morrisseau, who promised to bring articles of impeachment against President George W. Bush.[1]
Rainville won the Republican primary on September 12, beating Shepard by a wide margin.
There were also numerous third party and independent candidates: Chris Karr (WTP), Bruce Marshall (Green Party), Dennis Morrisseau (Ind), Jane Newton (Liberty Union Party), Keith Stern (Ind), and Jerry Trudell (Ind). Morrisseau gathered the most votes, with 1% or 1,383 votes.
By September 14, 2006, the race between Rainville and Welch was close. An American Research Group poll showed Welch with a 48-45% lead.[2]
On October 4, 2006, The Burlington Free Press reported that one of Rainville's staffers, Christopher Stewart, resigned from her campaign after committing plagiarism—copying policy statements from other politicians, including Senator Hillary Clinton, and using them on Rainville's website. Rainville's website was off-line for some time while her staff removed the plagiarized passages. [1]
Welch beat Rainville 53% to 45%, or 139,585 votes to 117,211.
| United States House election, 2006: Vermont At-large District | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Democratic | Peter Welch | 139,585 | 53.2 | +46.1 | |
| Republican | Martha Rainville | 117,221 | 44.5 | +20.1 | |
| Impeach Bush Now | Dennis Morrisseau | 1,390 | 0.5 | N/A | |
| Independent | Jerry Trudell | 1,013 | 0.4 | N/A | |
| Green | Bruce Marshall | 994 | 0.4 | N/A | |
| Independent | Keith Stern | 963 | 0.4 | N/A | |
| Liberty Union | Jane Newton | 721 | 0.3 | -0.7 | |
| We the People | Chris Karr | 599 | 0.3 | N/A | |
| Write-ins | N/A | 208 | 0.1 | N/A | |
| Majority | 22,364 | 8.7 | -34.4 | ||
| Turnout | 262,726 | ||||
| Democratic gain from Independent | Swing | ||||
[edit] List of representatives
Vermont had district representation upon admission as the 14th State in 1791.
From 1813-1821, beginning with the 13th Congress, Vermont elected its Representatives statewide At-Large.
After the 16th Congress, Vermont returned to electing Congressmen from districts
Vermont returned to an At-Large District after losing its 2nd Representative due to 1930 Census
| Representative | Party | Years ↑ | District Home | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ernest W. Gibson | Republican | January 3, 1933 - October 19, 1933 | Redistricted from 2nd district Resigned |
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| Charles A. Plumley | Republican | 1934 – October 19, 1951 | Retired | |
| Winston L. Prouty | Republican | 1951 – 1959 | Retired to run for Vermont US Senate seat | |
| William H. Meyer | Democratic | 1959 – 1961 | Lost Re-election | |
| Robert Stafford | Republican | 1961 – 1971 | Resigned to accept appointment to Vermont US Senate seat | |
| Richard W. Mallary | Republican | 1972 – 1975 | Declined nomination | |
| Jim Jeffords | Republican | 1975 – 1989 | Retired to run for Vermont US Senate seat | |
| Peter P. Smith | Republican | 1989 – 1991 | Lost Re-election | |
| Bernie Sanders | Independent | 1991 – 2007 | Retired to run for Vermont US Senate seat | |
| Peter Welch | Democratic | 2007 – present | Incumbent |
[edit] Sources
- 2004 election results for Vermont at large district via cnn.com
- Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
- Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
- Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present
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