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US-POLITICS-VERMONT
US transgender woman wins Democratic nod for governor in Vermont
WASHINGTON, Aug 15, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Christine Hallquist won the
Democratic gubernatorial nomination in the US state of Vermont on Tuesday,
moving a step closer to becoming the nation’s first transgender governor, US
media reported.
But she still faces an uphill battle in the general election, when she is
projected to face Republican incumbent Phil Scott, who has been in office
since 2016.
“HISTORY MADE! @christineforvt just became the first trans/non-binary
gubernatorial candidate from a major political party in American history!”
tweeted the Victory Fund, an organization that supports LGBTQ candidates.
Hallquist transitioned while heading the Vermont Electricity Coop, several
years before launching her gubernatorial bid.
In 2015, “Christine made the decision, after years of holding it inside,
to come out as her true self, a transgender woman, becoming the first
business leader in the country to transition while in office,” according to
her campaign’s website.
“Working to ensure that Vermont remains the special, inclusive and
progressive place that it has always been… is what motivates Christine to
seek the honor and opportunity to serve the people of Vermont as its next
governor,” it says.
Hallquist beat out James Ehlers, a Navy veteran and environmentalist, and
Brenda Siegel, the executive director of a dance festival, to win the
Democratic nomination.
Also among the primary candidates was 14-year old schoolboy Ethan
Sonneborn, who took advantage of a quirk in the constitution of the bucolic
northeastern state that imposes no age limit on running for governor.
His website proclaims him a champion for middle- and working-class
families, with “the right ideas” on healthcare reform, economic development
and education — never mind that he’s still years from graduating high
school.
But despite praise for Sonneborn’s “maturity” and political awareness, his
campaign attracted calls for Vermont lawmakers to close the loophole.
“I think we should probably take a look at that to be perfectly honest,”
Governor Scott told reporters when asked if he thought 14-year-olds should be
eligible to run.
“I think you should at least be able to get your driver’s license at the
time that you become governor.”
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1002 hrs