Political Parties
Minor parties flourish. Rules which eliminate smaller parties from the ballot in most states do not exist in Vermont, where electoral fusion is also legal. As a result, voters often have extensive choices in general elections.
The Vermont Progressive Party is a liberal left wing political party which has held a handful of seats in the Vermont legislature for two decades and has run candidates for numerous state and local elections. In 2009, they had five members in the Vermont House of Representatives and one member in the Vermont Senate. Progressive Bob Kiss is mayor of the largest city, Burlington. It has had official recognition as a political party by the state government since 1999.
The Liberty Union Party is a democratic socialist minor party which holds a few local offices.
The state's legislature is dominated by Democrats. The governorship in Vermont has alternated between Democrats and Republicans since 1961. The current governor is a Democrat. Most notable, perhaps, is Democrat Howard Dean, Governor from 1991 to 2003, who ran for the 2004 Democratic Presidential Nomination and went on to chair the Democratic National Committee.
Read more about this topic: Elections In Vermont
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