Pri ma ry
n a result many political observers
described as “expected,” Cheryl
Rivers defeated Jan Backus in the

Democratic Party primary for

Lieutenant Governor. Both candi-

dates were considered excellent

choices, with their major difference
one of “style.” Backus was consid-
ered the thoughtful candidate who
could bring disparate partisans
together on a given issue, while

“I am proud of the sdpport we have
gotten from the gay ‘ribmmunity and
look forward to seeing a nation in 
h'ch people are not discriminated 

Rivers is considered to be forthright
and steadfast on her established
positions. -
Both women had long his-
tories of support for lgbt issues, and
both had voted in favor of civil
unions in the Senate. Both had said
repeatedly that they favor gay
marriage.
Meanwhile, in the other

major primary contest, Dennis

Carver, a maverick Republican,
pulled off a stunning upset over
Marianne Kennedy, who had been
asked by Governor Jim Douglas to
run for state Attorney General.
Transwoman Karen Kerin, who ran
on a “restoration of liberty” platform,
came in third.

Most of the other LGBT

candidates had primary contests. .

Robert Dostis (Waterbury, Duxbury,

Numbers: Rivers Wins, l(erin Loses

Huntington: and Buel’s Gore) and
Bill Lippert (Hinesburg) are
Democratic incumbents in House
races facing Republican challengers.
Democratic House candidate Jason
Lorber and Progressive Barbara Nolfi
are campaigning for the Burlington
House seat left open by Progressive
Representative Steve Hingtgen’s
campaign for Lt. Governor. And
Steve Howard, of Rutland, is facing

 

Republican candidate Angela Victory,
a political neophyte (and, ironically,
a friend of Howard’s mother), for the

‘ Rutland District 5-3 seat.

Although Orange County

Democratic chair Bob Bland said he

filed for candidacy simply to ensure
a full slate, he won a three-way pri-
mary for two House seats, moving
the potential gay legislator count up
to 5 reps, one senator.V '