2000 United States Senate election in Vermont

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2000 United States Senate election in Vermont
Flag of Vermont.svg
  1994 November 7, 2000 2006  
  Jim Jeffords (cropped).jpg EdFlanagan.png
Nominee Jim Jeffords Ed Flanagan
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote189,13373,352
Percentage65.56%25.43%

2000 United States Senate election in Vermont results map by county.svg
2000 United States Senate election in Vermont results map by municipality.svg
Jeffords:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

U.S. senator before election

Jim Jeffords
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Jim Jeffords
Republican

The 2000 United States Senate election in Vermont took place on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Jim Jeffords won re-election to a third term in office. In May 2001, Jeffords left the Republican Party and announced that he would become an independent who would caucus with the Democratic Party. His party exit broke the 50–50 lock in the Senate and effectively gave the Democrats the majority. Thus, that switch marked the first time since 1855 that Vermont had no Republicans in its entire congressional delegation.

Contents

Despite the 40-point victory, this is the last federal election in Vermont won by a Republican, and the last time as of 2024 that either party won this seat. [a]

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

Declined

Results

Democratic Primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Ed Flanagan 17,440 49.24
Democratic Jan Backus16,44446.43
Democratic Write-ins1,5334.33
Total votes35,417 100.00

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

Republican primary results [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Jim Jeffords (Incumbent) 60,234 77.79
Republican Rick Hubbard15,99120.65
Republican Write-ins1,2041.55
Total votes77,429 100.00

Independents and minor parties

Independents

Declared

  • Rick Hubbard

Declined

General election

Flanagan was widely seen as having little chance of beating the highly popular Jeffords, who was thought of as a liberal Republican. [5] [6] Flanagan campaigned on "shaking up Washington" and portrayed himself as a reformer. [6] Both candidates supported same-sex civil unions and remained silent on the issue of same-sex marriage, but Flanagan, who was openly gay, noted receiving backlash from voters opposed to same-sex marriage. [5] The LGBT community in Vermont was divided between which candidate to support, as Jeffords had been strongly supportive of LGBT rights and had received a perfect score from the Human Rights Campaign. [6]

Endorsements

Jim Jeffords (R)

Results

United States Senate election in Vermont, 2000 [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Jim Jeffords (Incumbent) 189,133 65.56% +15.24%
Democratic Ed Flanagan 73,35225.43%−15.14%
Constitution Charles W. Russell10,0793.49%
Independent Rick Hubbard5,3661.86%
Grassroots Billy Greer4,8891.69%
Libertarian Hugh Douglas3,8431.33%
Liberty Union Jerry Levy1,4770.51%
Write-ins3610.13%
Majority 115,78140.13%+30.38%
Turnout 288,500
Republican hold Swing

See also

Notes

  1. Bernie Sanders, who replaced Jeffords, is an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, like Jeffords did during his final term.

References

  1. Rudin, Ken (August 20, 1999). "Democrats Waiting On Vermont and Delaware". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  2. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 27, 2010. Retrieved June 3, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 27, 2010. Retrieved June 3, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Senator Jeffords on Firm Ground for Re-election Bid". The New York Times. October 5, 2006. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  5. 1 2 Delaney, Bill (November 2, 2000). "Gay Senate candidate an underdog amid Vermont gay union backlash". CNN. Archived from the original on May 9, 2001. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 Ferdin, Pamela (July 24, 2000). "Gay Official Aims to Shake Up Senate". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  7. "Leaders Wanted". Sierra Club. August 2000. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  8. "U.S. Chamber Announces Latest of Political Endorsements". U.S. Chamber of Commerce. May 7, 2000. Archived from the original (Press release) on July 11, 2021. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  9. "Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives".