Following our success in the 2010 statewide elections, Vermont Fund for Families is temporarily suspending our activities while we take some time to think about the future of the organization. We’ll be back in touch with news soon. For now, see this recap of the results of the November 2010 election!
Freedom-To-Marry Backers Overwhelmingly Win House and Senate Races!
This post originally appeared on the Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force website.
Yesterday's Vermont election results provided powerful ammunition for supporters of the freedom to marry for same-sex couples. Vermont voters elected a Governor widely recognized as a champion of equal marriage rights for same-sex couples, and overwhelmingly supported legislators who had voted in 2009 to extend Vermont's marriage laws to gay and lesbian couples.
Vermont Freedom to Marry Action Committee Chair Beth Robinson celebrated: "Yesterday's vote proves the fear-mongers wrong, and should demonstrate to elected leaders around the country that voters support legislators who value and protect civil rights."
In April, 2009, Vermont made history as the first state in the nation to ensure the right of same-sex couples to legally marry through the legislature rather than the courts. To do so, the Vermont Legislature had to muster a 2/3 super-majority to override a Governor's veto. Some predicted the vote would trigger an electoral backlash against those legislators in the 2010 elections.
Instead, Vermonters elected Peter Shumlin as their new Governor. The Vermont state Senate leader was instrumental in moving and passing the groundbreaking law in 2009.
"Senator Shumlin proudly touted his critical role in the marriage equality debate as he campaigned for Governor, and Vermonters responded. He showed us all that leading on this crucial civil rights issue is a political plus, not a political liability," according to Robinson.
In the meantime, based on unofficial, preliminary results, Vermonters have returned 86 of the 89 House members who voted to override the Governor's veto to their seats in the Vermont Legislature, and 18 of the 19 Senators -- for a 96% re-election rate. Several of these races were decided by a handful of votes, so recount requests are likely. Robinson noted that at least one of four incumbents who was not re-elected lost his seat to an opponent who had himself publicly and forcefully advocated passage of the marriage bill in 2009.
Vermont's Pro-Equality Senators: Election Results
This post originally appeared on the Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force website.
| County | Name | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Addison Senate | Claire Ayer | Reelected |
| Addison Senate | Harold Giard | Reelected |
| Bennington Senate | Robert M. Hartwell | Reelected |
| Bennington Senate | Dick Sears | Reelected |
| Caledonia Senate | Jane Kitchel | Reelected |
| Caledonia Senate | Matthew Choate | Defeated |
| Chittenden Senate | Tim Ashe | Reelected |
| Chittenden Senate | Edward Flanagan | Did not run. Ran for Auditor. Defeated in primary. |
| Chittenden Senate | Ginny Lyons | Reelected |
| Chittenden Senate | Hinda Miller | Reelected |
| Chittenden Senate | Doug Racine | Did not run. Ran for Governor. Defeated in primary. |
| Chittenden Senate | Diane Snelling | Reelected |
| Franklin Senate | Sara Branon Kittell | Reelected |
| Grand Isle Senate | Dick Mazza | Reelected |
| Lamoille Senate | Susan Bartlett | Did not run. Ran for Governor. Defeated in primary. |
| Orange Senate | Mark MacDonald | Reelected |
| Rutland Senate | Bill Carris | Reelected |
| Rutland Senate | Kevin Mullin | Reelected |
| Washington Senate | Ann Cummings | Reelected |
| Washington Senate | Bill Doyle* (voted for marriage bill, against override) | Reelected |
| Washington Senate | Phil Scott | Ran for Lt. Governor and won. |
| Windham Senate | Peter Shumlin | Ran for Governor and won. |
| Windham Senate | Jeanette White | Reelected |
| Windsor Senate | John Campbell | Reelected |
| Windsor Senate | Dick McCormack | Reelected |
| Windsor Senate | Alice W. Nitka | Reelected |
The House Override 100: Where are they now?
This post originally appeared on the Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force website.
| District | Towns | Name | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Addison-1 | Middlebury | Steve Maier | Did not run |
| Addison-1 | Middlebury | Betty Nuovo | Reelected |
| Addison-2 | Cornwall, Goshen, Hancock, Leicester, Ripton, Salisbury | Willem Jewett | Reelected |
| Addison-3 | Addison, Ferrisburgh, Panton, Vergennes, Waltham | Diane Lanpher | Reelected |
| Addison-4 | Bristol, Lincoln, Monkton, Starksboro | Dave Sharpe | Reelected |
| Addison-4 | Bristol, Lincoln, Monkton, Starksboro | Michael Fisher | Reelected |
| Addison-5 | Bridport, New Haven, Weybridge | Christopher Bray | Did not run for his House seat. Ran for Lt. Governor and defeated in primary. |
| Addison-Rutland-1 | Orwell, Shoreham, Benson, Whiting | Will Stevens | Reelected |
| Bennington-1 | Pownal, Woodford | Bill Botzow | Reelected |
| Bennington-2-2 | Bennington | Anne Lamy Mook | Reelected |
| Bennington-3 | N. Bennington | Alice Miller | Reelected |
| Bennington-4 | Manchester Center | Jeff Wilson | Reelected |
| Bennington-Rutland-1 | Dorset | Patti Komline | Reelected |
| Caledonia-2 | Hardwick, Stannard, Walden | Lucy Leriche | Reelected |
| Caledonia-3 | St. Johnsbury | Robert South | Reelected |
| Caledonia-Washington-1 | Danville, Peacham, Cabot | Kitty Beattie Toll | Reelected |
| Chittenden-1-1 | Hinesburg | Bill Lippert, Jr. | Reelected |
| Chittenden-1-2 | Charlotte, Some Hinesburg | Scott Orr | Did not run |
| Chittenden-2 | Williston | Jim McCullough | Reelected |
| Chittenden-2 | Burlington New North End | Terry Macaig | Reelected |
| Chittenden-3-1 | Burlington New North End | Bill Aswad | Reelected |
| Chittenden-3-1 | Burlington New North End | Kurt Wright | Reelected |
| Chittenden-3-2 | Burlington New North End | Mark Larson | Reelected |
| Chittenden-3-3 | Burlington Old North End | Jason Lorber | Reelected |
| Chittenden-3-3 | Burlington Old North End | Rachel Weston | Reelected |
| Chittenden-3-4 | Burlington University | Kesha Ram | Reelected |
| Chittenden-3-4 | Burlington University | David Zuckerman | Did not run |
| Chittenden-3-5 | Burlington Hill | Johannah Leddy Donovan | Reelected |
| Chittenden 3-5 | Burlington Hill | Suzi Wizowaty | Reelected |
| Chittenden-3-7 | S. Burlington | Frank Geier | Did not run |
| Chittenden-3-8 | S. Burlington | Ann Pugh | Reelected |
| Chittenden-3-10 | S. Burlington | Helen Head | Reelected |
| Chittenden-4 | Richmond | Anne O'Brien | Reelected |
| Chittenden 5-1 | Shelburne | Kate Webb | Reelected |
| Chittenden-5-2 | Shelburne | Joan G. Lenes | Reelected |
| Chittenden-6-1 | Essex Town | Debbie Evans | Reelected |
| Chittenden-6-2 | Essex Village | Tim Jerman | Reelected |
| Chittenden-6-2 | Essex Village | Linda Waite-Simpson | Reelected |
| Chittenden 6-3 | Westford, Essex | Martha Heath | Reelected |
| Chittenden-7-1 | Colchester | Jim Condon | Reelected |
| Chittenden-7-1 | Colchester | John Zenie | Reelected |
| Chittenden-7-2 | Colchester | Kristy Kurt Spengler | Reelected |
| Chittenden-8 | Jericho, Underhill | Bill Frank | Reelected |
| Chittenden-8 | Jericho, Underhill | George Till | Reelected |
| Franklin-1 | Fairfax, Georgia | Gary Gilbert | Reelected |
| Franklin-3 | St. Albans City | Jeff Young | Defeated |
| Franklin-3 | St. Albans City | Kathleen Keenan | Reelected |
| Grand Isle-Chittenden-1 | Milton, Alburg, GI, Isle LaMotte, N. Hero, S. Hero | Mitzi Johnson | Reelected |
| Grand Isle-Chittenden-1 | Milton, Alburg, GI, Isle LaMotte, N. Hero, S. Hero | Ira Trombley | Deceased |
| Lamoille-1 | Stowe | Heidi Scheuermann | Reelected |
| Lamoille-2 | Hyde Park, Wolcott | Linda Martin | Reelected |
| Lamoille-3 | Eden, Johnson | Floyd Nease | Reelected |
| Lamoille-4 | Belvidere, Cambridge, Waterville | Rich Westman | Did not run for his House seat. Elected Lamoille County Senator. |
| Lamoille-Washington-1 | Elmore, Morristown, Woodbury, Wooster | Peter Peltz | Reelected |
| Lamoille-Washington-1 | Elmore, Morristown, Woodbury, Wooster | Shap Smith | Reelected |
| Orange-1 | Chelsea, Corinth, .Orange, Vershire, Washington, Williamstown | Susan Hatch Davis | Reelected |
| Orange-2 | Bradford, Fairlee, West Fairlee | Sarah Copeland Hanzas | Reelected |
| Orange-Addison-1 | Granville, Braintree, Brookfield, Randolph | Patsy French | Reelected |
| Orange-Addison-1 | Granville, Braintree, Brookfield, Randolph | Larry Townsend | Reelected |
| Orange-Caledonia-1 | Groton, Newbury, Topsham | Chip Conquest | Reelected |
| Orleans-Caledonia-1 | Albany, Barton, Craftsbury, Glover, Greensboro, Sheffield, Wheelock | John Rodgers | Defeated (apparently -- count isn't final) |
| Rutland-3 | Shrewsbury, Tinmouth, Wallingford | Eldred French | Reelected |
| Rutland-5-2 | Rutland City | Peg Andrews | Reelected |
| Rutland-5-3 | Rutland City | Steven James Howard | Did not run for his House seat. Ran for Lt. Governor and defeated in general election. |
| Rutland-5-4 | Rutland City | Gale Courcelle | Reelected |
| Rutland-8 | Rupert, Middletown Springs, Pawlet, Wells | John Malcolm | Reelected |
| Rutland-Windsor-1 | Bridgewater, Mendon, Chittenden, Killington | Megan Smith | Defeated |
| Washington 1 | Warren | Adam Greshin | Reelected |
| Washington-2 | Moretown, Northfield, Roxbury | Anne Donahue | Reelected |
| Washington-2 | Moretown, Northfield, Roxbury | Maxine Grad | Reelected |
| Washington-3-1 | Barre City | Paul Poirier | Reelected |
| Washington-3-2 | Barre City | Tess Taylor | Reelected |
| Washington-5 | Montpelier | Mary Hooper | Reelected |
| Washington-5 | Montpelier | Warren Kitzmiller | Reelected |
| Washington-6 | Calais, Marshfield, Plainfield | Janet Ancel | Reelected |
| Washington-7 | E. Montpelier, Middlesex | Tony Klein | Reelected |
| Washington-Chittenden-1 | Huntington, Duxbury, Waterbury | Tom Stevens | Reelected |
| Washington-Chittenden-1 | Huntington, Duxbury, Waterbury | Sue Minter | Reelected |
| Windham-2 | Halifax, Whitingham, Wilmington | Ann Manwaring | Reelected |
| Windham-3-1 | Brattleboro | Gini Milkey | Did not run |
| Windham-3-2 | Brattleboro | Mollie Burke | Reelected |
| Windham-3-3 | Brattleboro | Sarah Edwards | Reelected |
| Windham-4 | Athens, Brookline, Athens, Rockingham, Westminster, Windham | Michael Obuchowski | Reelected |
| Windham-4 | Athens, Brookline, Athens, Rockingham, Westminster, Windham | Carolyn Partridge | Reelected |
| Windham-5 | Dummerston, Putney, Westminster | David Deen | Reelected |
| Windham-5 | Dummerston, Putney, Westminster | Michael Mrowicki | Reelected |
| Windham-6 | Marlboro, Newfane, Townshend | Richard Marek | Reelected |
| Windham-Bennington-1 | Readsboro, Searsburg, Stamford, Dover, Wardsboro | John Moran | Reelected |
| Windham-Bennington-Windsor-1 | Winhall, Jamaica, Londonderry, .Stratton, Weston | Rick Hube | Deceased. His protˇgˇ, Oliver Olsen, who was by his side through the marriage bill debate, was re-elected to Rep. Hube's old seat. |
| Windsor-1-1 | Andover, Baltimore, Chester, Springfield | Kathy Pellett | Did not run |
| Windsor-1-2 | Springfield | Cynthia Martin | Reelected |
| Windsor-1-2 | Springfield | Alice Emmons | Reelected |
| Windsor-2 | Cavendish, Weathersfield | Ernest Shand | Reelected |
| Windsor-3 | Windsor | Donna Sweaney | Reelected |
| Windsor-5 | Reading, Woodstock | Alison Clarkson | Reelected |
| Windsor-6-1 | Barnard, Pomfret, Hartford | Mark Mitchell | Reelected |
| Windsor-6-2 | Hartford | Charles Bohi | Reelected |
| Windsor-Orange-2 | Strafford, Thetford, Norwich, Sharon | Margaret Cheney | Reelected |
| Windsor-Orange-2 | Strafford, Thetford, Norwich, Sharon | Jim Masland | Reelected |
| Windsor-Rutland-2 | Bethel, Stockbridge, Rochester, Pittsfield | Sandy Haas | Reelected |