Vermont's At-large congressional district

Infobox U.S. congressional district
state = Vermont
district number = 1

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image width = 350
image caption =
representative = Peter Welch
party = Democratic
english area =
metric area =
percent urban =
percent rural =
population = 608,827
population year = 2000
median income = 40,856
percent white =96.8
percent black = 0.5
percent asian = 0.9
percent native american = 0.4
percent hispanic = 0.9
percent other race = 0.1
percent blue collar =
percent white collar =
percent gray collar =
cpvi = D+8

The U.S. state of Vermont has been represented in the United States House of Representatives by a single at-large congressional district since the 1930 census, when the state lost its second seat . There were once six districts in Vermont. Bernie Sanders (Independent) held the seat from 1991 until 2007, when he became Vermont's Junior US Senator. Peter Welch has represented the state since 2007.

Recent elections

2004 election

Incumbent Bernie Sanders ran for and won re-election.

Election box begin
title=United States House election, 2004: Vermont At-large DistrictElection box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Bernie Sanders
votes = 205,774
percentage = 67.5
change = +2.8Election box candidate with party link
party = Republican Party (US)
candidate = Greg Parke
votes = 74,271
percentage = 24.4
change = -7.7Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Party (US)
candidate = Larry Drown
votes = 21,684
percentage = 7.1
change = +7.1Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberty Union Party
candidate = Jane Newton
votes = 3,018
percentage = 1.0
change = -0.3Election box majority
votes = 131,503
percentage = 43.1
change = Election box turnout
votes = 304,747
percentage =
change =Election box hold with party link
winner = Independent (politician)
swing = +5.3

2006 election

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. [ [http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article9546.htm informationclearinghouse.info] ]

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. [ [http://www.americanresearchgroup.com americanresearchgroup.com] ]

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. [http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061004/NEWS02/610040305/1007]

Welch beat Rainville 53% to 45%, or 139,585 votes to 117,211.

Election box begin
title=United States House election, 2006: Vermont At-large DistrictElection box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Party (US)
candidate = Peter Welch
votes = 139,585
percentage = 53.2
change = +46.1Election box candidate with party link
party = Republican Party (US)
candidate = Martha Rainville
votes = 117,221
percentage = 44.5
change = +20.1Election box candidate
party = Impeach Bush Now
candidate = Dennis Morrisseau
votes = 1,390
percentage = 0.5
change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Jerry Trudell
votes = 1,013
percentage = 0.4
change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Green Party (United States)
candidate = Bruce Marshall
votes = 994
percentage = 0.4
change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Keith Stern
votes = 963
percentage = 0.4
change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Liberty Union Party
candidate = Jane Newton
votes = 721
percentage = 0.3
change = -0.7Election box candidate
party = We the People
candidate = Chris Karr
votes = 599
percentage = 0.3
change = N/AElection box candidate
party = Write-ins
candidate = N/A
votes = 208
percentage = 0.1
change = N/AElection box majority
votes = 22,364
percentage = 8.7
change = -34.4Election box turnout
votes = 262,726
percentage =
change =Election box gain with party link
winner = Democratic Party (US)
loser = Independent (politician)
swing =

List of representatives

Vermont had district representation upon admission as the 14th State in 1791.

1813-1821: Six seats

From 1813-1821, beginning with the 13th Congress, Vermont elected its Representatives statewide At-Large.

1st seat

4th seat

Districts

Starting in 1821 with the 17th Congress, Vermont returned to electing Congressmen from districts.

1933-present: One seat

In 1933, Vermont returned to an at-large district after being reduced to one representative after the 1930 Census.

Sources

* [http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/VT/H/01 2004 election results for Vermont at large district] via cnn.com
*cite book|title = The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress|last = Martis|first = Kenneth C.|authorlink =|coauthors =|year = 1989|publisher = Macmillan Publishing Company|location = New York|id =
*cite book|title = The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts|last = Martis|first = Kenneth C.|authorlink =|coauthors =|year = 1982|publisher = Macmillan Publishing Company|location = New York|id =
* [http://bioguide.congress.gov/biosearch/biosearch.asp Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present]

References