Vermont Progressive Party

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The Vermont Progressive Party is a political party. As of September 2019, it was a ballot-qualified party in Vermont. It is a third party that advocates for social democratic and populist policies within the state of Vermont. As of the 2014 elections, the Vermont Progressive Party held the greatest number of third-party seats in the Vermont State Legislature.[1][2]

## Contents

* 1 Background
* 1.1 Ballot access for political parties
* 2 History
* 3 Party Platform
* 4 Relationship with the Democratic Party
* 5 Current elected officials
* 5.1 Vermont State Executives
* 5.2 Vermont Senate
* 5.3 Vermont House of Representatives
* 6 Recent news
* 7 See also
* 8 Footnotes

## Background[edit]

### Ballot access for political parties[edit]

See also: List of political parties in the United States

As of January 2025, there were at least 55 distinct ballot-qualified political parties in the United States. There were 238 state-level parties.[3] Some parties are recognized in multiple states. For example, both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party are recognized in all 50 states and Washington, D.C..[4][5][6] Three minor parties were recognized in more than 10 states as of January 2025:

1. Libertarian Party: 38 states
2. Green Party: 23 states[7]
3. Constitution Party: 12 states[8]

Although there are dozens of political parties in the United States, only certain parties qualify to have the names of their candidates for office printed on election ballots. In order to qualify for ballot placement, a party must meet certain requirements that vary from state to state. For example, in some states, a party may have to file a petition in order to qualify for ballot placement. In other states, a party must organize around a candidate for a specific office; that candidate must, in turn, win a percentage of the vote in order for the party to be granted ballot status. In still other states, an aspiring political party must register a certain number of voters.

The number of ballot-qualified political parties fluctuates as parties gain or lose qualified status. In addition, some states distinguish between major parties and minor parties. Specific differences between major and minor parties differ from state to state. For example, in all states, major parties are granted access to primary elections. Some states, however, do not permit minor parties to participate in primary elections. Consequently, minor party candidates in these states can run only in general elections.[4]

The table below lists all ballot-qualified political parties in each state as of January 2025. Click "[show]" to expand the table.[4]

Ballot-qualified parties by state, January 2025State| Political party

|

Alabama| Democratic Party of Alabama
Alabama| Republican Party of Alabama
Alaska| Alaskan Independence Party
Alaska| Democratic Party of Alaska
Alaska| Libertarian Party of Alaska
Alaska| Republican Party of Alaska
Arizona| Democratic Party of Arizona
Arizona| Green Party of Arizona
Arizona| Libertarian Party of Arizona
Arizona| No Labels Party of Arizona
Arizona| Republican Party of Arizona
Arkansas| Democratic Party of Arkansas
Arkansas| Libertarian Party of Arkansas
Arkansas| Republican Party of Arkansas
California| American Independent Party of California
California| Democratic Party of California
California| Green Party of California
California| Libertarian Party of California
California| Peace and Freedom Party of California
California| Republican Party of California
Colorado| American Constitution Party of Colorado
Colorado| Approval Voting Party of Colorado
Colorado| Colorado Center Party
Colorado| Democratic Party of Colorado
Colorado| Green Party of Colorado
Colorado| Libertarian Party of Colorado
Colorado| No Labels Party of Colorado
Colorado| Republican Party of Colorado
Colorado| Unity Party of Colorado
Connecticut| Democratic Party of Connecticut
Connecticut| Green Party of Connecticut
Connecticut| Independent Party of Connecticut
Connecticut| Libertarian Party of Connecticut
Connecticut| Republican Party of Connecticut
Connecticut| Working Families Party of Connecticut
D.C.| D.C. Statehood Green Party
D.C.| Democratic Party of Washington, D.C.
D.C.| Libertarian Party of Washington, D.C.
D.C.| Republican Party of Washington, D.C.
Delaware| Democratic Party of Delaware
Delaware| Green Party of Delaware
Delaware| Independent Party of Delaware
Delaware| Libertarian Party of Delaware
Delaware| Republican Party of Delaware
Florida| American Solidarity Party of Florida
Florida| Boricua Party of Florida
Florida| Coalition with a Purpose Party of Florida
Florida| Conservative Party of Florida
Florida| Constitution Party of Florida
Florida| Democratic Party of Florida
Florida| Ecology Party of Florida
Florida| Florida Forward Party
Florida| Florida Natural Law Party
Florida| Green Party of Florida
Florida| Independent Party of Florida
Florida| Jeffersonian Party of Florida
Florida| Libertarian Party of Florida
Florida| Party for Socialism and Liberation of Florida
Florida| Reform Party of Florida
Florida| Republican Party of Florida
Georgia| Democratic Party of Georgia
Georgia| Republican Party of Georgia
Hawaii| AlohaʻĀina Party
Hawaii| Constitution Party of Hawaii
Hawaii| Democratic Party of Hawaii
Hawaii| Green Party of Hawaii
Hawaii| Libertarian Party of Hawaii
Hawaii| Republican Party of Hawaii
Idaho| Constitution Party of Idaho
Idaho| Democratic Party of Idaho
Idaho| Libertarian Party of Idaho
Idaho| Republican Party of Idaho
Illinois| Democratic Party of Illinois
Illinois| Republican Party of Illinois
Indiana| Democratic Party of Indiana
Indiana| Libertarian Party of Indiana
Indiana| Republican Party of Indiana
Iowa| Democratic Party of Iowa
Iowa| Libertarian Party of Iowa
Iowa| Republican Party of Iowa
Kansas| Democratic Party of Kansas
Kansas| Libertarian Party of Kansas
Kansas| Republican Party of Kansas
Kentucky| Democratic Party of Kentucky
Kentucky| Republican Party of Kentucky
Louisiana| Democratic Party of Louisiana
Louisiana| Green Party of Louisiana
Louisiana| Independent Party of Louisiana
Louisiana| Libertarian Party of Louisiana
Louisiana| Republican Party of Louisiana
Maine| Democratic Party of Maine
Maine| Green Independent Party of Maine
Maine| Libertarian Party of Maine
Maine| No Labels Party of Maine
Maine| Republican Party of Maine
Maryland| Democratic Party of Maryland
Maryland| Green Party of Maryland
Maryland| Libertarian Party of Maryland
Maryland| Republican Party of Maryland
Maryland| Working Class Party of Maryland
Massachusetts| Democratic Party of Massachusetts
Massachusetts| Libertarian Party of Massachusetts
Massachusetts| Republican Party of Massachusetts
Michigan| Democratic Party of Michigan
Michigan| Green Party of Michigan
Michigan| Libertarian Party of Michigan
Michigan| Natural Law Party of Michigan
Michigan| Republican Party of Michigan
Michigan| U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan
Michigan| Working Class Party of Michigan
Minnesota| Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party of Minnesota
Minnesota| Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party of Minnesota
Minnesota| Green Party of Minnesota
Minnesota| Independence Party of Minnesota
Minnesota| Legal Marijuana Now Party of Minnesota
Minnesota| Libertarian Party of Minnesota
Minnesota| Republican Party of Minnesota
Mississippi| America First Party of Mississippi
Mississippi| Democratic Party of Mississippi
Mississippi| Justice Party of Mississippi
Mississippi| Libertarian Party of Mississippi
Mississippi| Reform Party of Mississippi
Mississippi| Republican Party of Mississippi
Missouri| Constitution Party of Missouri
Missouri| Democratic Party of Missouri
Missouri| Green Party of Missouri
Missouri| Libertarian Party of Missouri
Missouri| Republican Party of Missouri
Montana| Democratic Party of Montana
Montana| Green Party of Montana
Montana| Libertarian Party of Montana
Montana| Republican Party of Montana
Nebraska| Democratic Party of Nebraska
Nebraska| Legal Marijuana Now Party of Nebraska
Nebraska| Libertarian Party of Nebraska
Nebraska| Republican Party of Nebraska
Nevada| Democratic Party of Nevada
Nevada| Independent American Party of Nevada
Nevada| Libertarian Party of Nevada
Nevada| No Labels Party of Nevada
Nevada| Republican Party of Nevada
New Hampshire| Democratic Party of New Hampshire
New Hampshire| Republican Party of New Hampshire
New Jersey| Democratic Party of New Jersey
New Jersey| Republican Party of New Jersey
New Mexico| Democratic Party of New Mexico
New Mexico| Green Party of New Mexico
New Mexico| Libertarian Party of New Mexico
New Mexico| Republican Party of New Mexico
New Mexico| Working Families Party of New Mexico
New York| Conservative Party of New York
New York| Democratic Party of New York
New York| Republican Party of New York
New York| Working Families Party of New York
North Carolina| Democratic Party of North Carolina
North Carolina| Green Party of North Carolina
North Carolina| Libertarian Party of North Carolina
North Carolina| No Labels Party of North Carolina
North Carolina| Republican Party of North Carolina
North Dakota| Democratic-Nonpartisan League Party of North Dakota
North Dakota| Republican Party of North Dakota
Ohio| Democratic Party of Ohio
Ohio| Republican Party of Ohio
Ohio| Libertarian Party of Ohio
Oklahoma| Democratic Party of Oklahoma
Oklahoma| Libertarian Party of Oklahoma
Oklahoma| Republican Party of Oklahoma
Oregon| Constitution Party of Oregon
Oregon| Democratic Party of Oregon
Oregon| Green Party of Oregon
Oregon| Independent Party of Oregon
Oregon| Libertarian Party of Oregon
Oregon| No Labels Party of Oregon
Oregon| Pacific Green Party of Oregon
Oregon| Progressive Party of Oregon
Oregon| Republican Party of Oregon
Oregon| Working Families Party of Oregon
Pennsylvania| Democratic Party of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania| Green Party of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania| Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania| Republican Party of Pennsylvania
Rhode Island| Democratic Party of Rhode Island
Rhode Island| Republican Party of Rhode Island
South Carolina| Alliance Party of South Carolina
South Carolina| Constitution Party of South Carolina
South Carolina| Democratic Party of South Carolina
South Carolina| Forward Party of South Carolina
South Carolina| Green Party of South Carolina
South Carolina| Labor Party of South Carolina
South Carolina| Libertarian Party of South Carolina
South Carolina| Republican Party of South Carolina
South Carolina| United Citizens Party of South Carolina
South Carolina| Workers Party of South Carolina
South Dakota| Democratic Party of South Dakota
South Dakota| Libertarian Party of South Dakota
South Dakota| No Labels Party of South Dakota
South Dakota| Republican Party of South Dakota
Tennessee| Democratic Party of Tennessee
Tennessee| Republican Party of Tennessee
Texas| Democratic Party of Texas
Texas| Green Party of Texas
Texas| Libertarian Party of Texas
Texas| Republican Party of Texas
Utah| Constitution Party of Utah
Utah| Democratic Party of Utah
Utah| Independent American Party of Utah
Utah| Libertarian Party of Utah
Utah| Republican Party of Utah
Utah| United Utah Party
Vermont| Democratic Party of Vermont
Vermont| Green Mountain Peace and Justice Party of Vermont
Vermont| Libertarian Party of Vermont
Vermont| Progressive Party of Vermont
Vermont| Republican Party of Vermont
Virginia| Democratic Party of Virginia
Virginia| Republican Party of Virginia
Washington| Democratic Party of Washington
Washington| Republican Party of Washington
West Virginia| Democratic Party of West Virginia
West Virginia| Libertarian Party of West Virginia
West Virginia| Mountain Party of West Virginia
West Virginia| Republican Party of West Virginia
Wisconsin| Constitution Party of Wisconsin
Wisconsin| Democratic Party of Wisconsin
Wisconsin| Green Party of Wisconsin
Wisconsin| Libertarian Party of Wisconsin
Wisconsin| Republican Party of Wisconsin
Wyoming| Constitution Party of Wyoming
Wyoming| Democratic Party of Wyoming
Wyoming| Libertarian Party of Wyoming
Wyoming| Republican Party of Wyoming

## History[edit]

The Vermont Progressive Party ties its roots to Bernie Sanders' successful election as Mayor of Vermont in 1981. The party notes that Sanders brought with him many progressive individuals into the mayor's office. Following Sanders' election, progressive candidates began to win seats on the Burlington City Council, and have had a continual presence in that body ever since.[9]

In 1991, the first self-proclaimed "progressive" candidates were elected to the Vermont House of Representatives from the city of Burlington. Since that time, progressive candidates have continually been elected to the state legislature-a feat that few other third parties in the United States can boast.[9][10][11]

In 2000, the Vermont Progressive Party was formally founded as a third party. During their first statewide elections in 2002, the three Burlington-based incumbents in the Vermont House of Representatives won re-election, and the Party's first candidate outside of Burlington, Sarah Edwards, was also elected to that body. At the same time, the Party's candidate for Lieutenant Governor, Anthony Pollina received nearly 25% of the vote in a four-way race. Pollina was later elected to the Vermont Senate in 2011, endorsed by both the Democratic Party and the Vermont Progressive Party.[9]

As of 2015, the Vermont Progressive Party had six representatives in the Vermont House of Representatives, three representatives (also endorsed by the Democratic Party) in the Vermont Senate, and one endorsed candidate elected to statewide office.[9][10] On June 11, 2015, the party endorsed Bernie Sanders in his campaign for President in 2016.[12]

The Vermont Progressive Party created the following chart to illustrate their continued presence in Vermont politics:[10]

## Party Platform[edit]

The Vermont Progressive Party has adopted the following as its official party platform: [13]

“  | Health Care

Progressives believe health care is a human right, and support universal, single-payer health care, birth to death, provided through a nonprofit, publicly financed system. We will work to:

• Implement a comprehensive, full-spectrum single-payer health care system, including dental, vision, hearing, preventive and mental health care as well as providing coverage for proven alternatives to western medicine such as acupuncture, naturopathic, and chiropractic treatments.
• Establish Community Health Centers to deliver health care services throughout the state.
• Subsidize tuition for students in underrepresented medical fields, who agree to remain and practice in Vermont Community Health Centers after graduation.

Education The VPP believes that a strong public educational system is an essential foundation to citizen participation in a democratic society. We will work to:

• Promote a public education system, Pre-K through college that provides comprehensive opportunities for all ability levels.
• Replace or supplement the residential education property tax system with an income-based tax and other progressive forms of taxation such as a wealth tax.
• Increase the federal and state share of special education funding and improve the quality of services through increased local professional and parental control.
• Reduce post secondary tuition cost for Vermonters attending state schools with programs such as “pay it forward” and the Collegiate High School programs. The long-term goal of the VPP is a tuition-free college education for Vermonters at state schools.
• Oppose ongoing federal and state efforts to undermine public schools through high-stakes testing, standardized curriculum, vouchers, and charter schools.
• Enable teachers to exercise more influence on the quality of education via greater respect for the contract negotiating process, school governance, and curriculum design and implementation.

Criminal Justice Progressives are committed to public safety. We will work to:

• Invest in prevention and anti-violence programs.
• Discontinue the failed “war on drugs.”
• Fund drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs.
• Limit incarceration to offenders who pose a threat to public safety.
• Re-evaluate the sentencing structure, which often imposes sentences that are purely retribution and not conductive to rehabilitation.
• Increase accountability and public oversight of the Department of Corrections through an independent Citizens Oversight Committee.
• Create effective penalties against driving under the influence to ensure public safety.
• Work to provide in-state placements and treatment (rather than out-of-state).
• Set up half-way houses in each county.
• Advocate for vocational and workplace training for offenders and youth at risk.
• Remove barriers to employment for those who have served their time.
• Provide education and literacy support in all corrections settings.

Civil Rights Progressives will preserve Vermont’s national leadership as a champion of civil rights, in the tradition of Vermont’s history as the first state to outlaw slavery. Progressives believe our right to personal privacy, guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution, is unconditional. We will work to:

• Ensure an individual's right to control their body and their medical choices with complete confidentiality.
• Establish a statewide Zero-Tolerance standard toward all forms of discrimination and harassment in public places, schools, and workplaces.
• Ensure that control of each person's private information and communications remains with that individual, and that state and local governments may not access, monitor, or eavesdrop on these protected personal effects without due process.
• Protect the privacy of individuals from commercial interests.

Economy Progressives believe that a strong, local economy is the foundation to a vibrant and sustainable future that promotes a high quality of life for all Vermonters. We will work to:

• Establish and guarantee that all working age Vermonters are afforded the opportunity for full time employment, which provides a living wage.
• Advocate for the rights of workers to unionize.
• Insist that Vermont contract only with responsible employers that hire local employees and pay a livable wage.
• Require that state-funded institutions buy products and services from Vermont farms and businesses wherever feasible.
• Promote cooperatives, worker-owned businesses, public benefit corporations, and publicly owned enterprises as alternatives to profit-driven multinational corporations.
• Change from the sole reliance on Gross Domestic Product to include other metrics, such as the Genuine Progress Indicator, to factor in social and environmental costs when evaluating our state’s economic development.
• Establish a publicly owned state bank, which would invest state monies into our local economy, instead of Wall Street banks.

Environment Progressives believe that Vermont’s natural environment is the foundation of our health, quality of life, and economy. We appreciate the intrinsic value of nature, and understand the need to be good stewards of this treasure so future generations can enjoy the same benefits as we do. We will work to:

• Protect our water, air, and biodiversity through strict enforcement of existing regulations, the creation of new regulations when necessary, and financial incentives that reward responsible stewardship.
• Strengthen effective land-use planning policies (e.g., Act 250, Current Use Program) that support town centers, farming, forestry, and conservation.
• Promote environmentally sound use of Vermont’s natural resources by supporting composting, expanding recycling, reducing hazardous waste, and restoring polluted sites to environmental health.
• Support and develop locally controlled, community scale, sustainable energy resources and practices, statewide mass transit, and energy-efficiency programs to combat climate change, protect our diverse ecosystem, and enhance our scenic beauty.
• Create a carbon tax that is used to develop alternatives to carbon-based energy.

Agriculture Progressives know that a diverse variety of small scale agricultural operations, such as family farms, orchards, and woodlots, are essential to Vermont’s food security, economy, and cultural heritage, while large scale agriculture tends to threaten our environment, has dubious effects on our health, and promotes a debt-based economy. We will work to:

• Support fair trade pricing for Vermont family farms, and develop farm and community based food hubs, processing centers, and other infrastructure needed to broaden the market for Vermont agricultural products, and to make locally produced food more readily available statewide.
• Promote and enforce agricultural regulations that will protect food safety and the environment from the risks associated with factory farms, without becoming onerous burdens to small producers.
• Promote agricultural regulations which allow small producers to offer products that are unavailable otherwise, such as raw milk and farm slaughtered meat.
• Support efforts to transition to sustainable, organic farming practices, such as changing the laws so compost can be considered a tax exempt agricultural product and ensuring that those planting GMOs are held accountable for any damages caused by those crops or the methods needed to grow them.

Housing Progressives believe a safe, stable and affordable place to live is the birthright of every Vermonter. We will work to:

• End homelessness by providing safe, stable, and affordable housing, rent subsidies and supportive services to all who desire and need them.
• Facilitate the creation of affordable housing by easing building and land use regulations without compromising safety, smart growth principles, or the livability of existing neighborhoods.
• Reverse federal cutbacks and increase funding for affordable housing, including Section 8, Community Development Block Grants, Public Housing, and the HOME program, among others.
• Maintain the balance between the rights and responsibilities of renters and landlords.
• Make it easier to apply for subsidized housing by instituting a universal, online application form.
• Increase the state's supply of affordable housing by providing full statutory funding for the Vermont Housing and Conservation Trust Fund.
• Preserve existing subsidized housing when current subsidies expire or the owner decides to sell or otherwise end its affordability.
• Create a statewide system for ensuring basic minimum standards of safety and habitability in the state’s rental housing.

Public Participation Progressives believe that progress in the face of multi-billion dollar corporate interests requires serious participation by people in our communities, workplaces, and schools between elections. We will work to:

• Encourage events in our communities and at the State House to bring out the voices of the people.
• Preserve and strengthen local participation in Town Meeting Day and local decision-making on local/regional issues.
• Advocate for Town Meeting Day to be a state holiday to encourage local civic participation.
• Encourage participatory budgeting and an assessment of people’s needs on a local and state level to empower citizens to be involved in the financial decision making by government.
• Ensure all residents, regardless of citizenship status, have an effective voice in decisions that affect them in their communities and the state.
• Work to reduce exceptions to the Public Records Act and hold governmental bodies at all levels accountable to the Open Meeting Law.

Military Progressives believe that, although a well-trained military is necessary for national defense, military expenditures must be weighed in the context of domestic priorities. We oppose the concept of military spending as economic development. We will work to:

• End the occupation of Iraq and the on-going military commitment in Afghanistan/Pakistan.
• Support all proceedings to hold accountable any violators of the U.S. Constitution, international laws, and/or treaties.
• Restrict Vermont National Guard troops from assignment to war zones.
• Prohibit the use of torture.
• Oppose preemptive war.
• Support non-military initiatives and policies to resolve international conflict.
• Ensure Vermont’s veterans receive medical, emotional, and financial support according to their service-related disability.

Energy Progressives believe Vermont can develop safe, secure, and stable energy sources. We will work to:

• Decommission Vermont Yankee safely with funds entirely provided by the plant owner (i.e., Entergy), and with a just transition for affected employees and communities.
• Promote investments and job development in energy conservation and weatherization programs.
• Promote the use of safe, clean, renewable, publicly and locally owned energy resources.
• Take positive and effective steps to significantly reduce, and ultimately eliminate, fossil fuel use.

Transportation Progressives believe Vermont’s transportation system is essential to a vibrant statewide economy and quality of life. Progressives understand that transportation is one of the main contributors to carbon emissions and that climate change adds new challenges to our transportation infrastructure. We will work to:

• Place a moratorium on all new major highway construction and focus on repair backlogs and improving the resilience of our existing infrastructure.
• Support development, improvement, and access to a comprehensive public mass transportation system including bicycles, light rail, Amtrak, buses and van services.
• Introduce transportation and land-use planning with incentives that promote walkable and bikeable access between and within communities.
• Promote modes of transportation which reduce carbon emissions and implement incentives to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

Taxes Progressives believe that taxes are essential to funding our social and economic needs and should be generally based on one’s ability to pay. We will work to:

• Eliminate Vermont’s capital gains tax exemption, and tax investment and unearned income at the same rate as low to moderately income households.
• Remove or significantly reduce Vermont’s education funding system reliance on residential property tax and find more a more progressive based revenue stream. Maintain property tax on industrial, commercial, and vacation homes as a source of revenue for education and other state services.
• Require overseas businesses with Vermont ties to pay the same corporate taxes as in-state businesses.
• Adopt a progressive income tax system where wealthier Vermonters, especially the top 5% wealthiest Vermonters, pay a higher percentage of tax on their income than low to moderate income Vermonters.

Government Reform Progressives believe government should work for the people, not corporate interests, and it should do so transparently, and accessibly, without wasteful bureaucracy. Progressives insist on fair, accountable, and representative elections. We will work to:

• Prohibit the use of any proprietary-code or paper-trail-less voting machines and ensure all elections are transparently audited to ensure accurate results.
• Ensure government accountability to taxpayers for taxpayer dollars.
• Institute Instant Runoff Voting (IRV), or another system of proportional voting, for state and local elections.
• Enhance campaign finance laws, to provide public financing for all elected positions, strictly limit or eliminate campaign contributions from corporations, PACs and political parties and reverse the doctrine of “corporate personhood.”
• Close the revolving door between government and industry, by implementing strict ethics laws which transparently hold lobbyists and public officials accountable, and which place a buffer between when a lobbyist can run for office, or an elected official can lobby their former colleagues.[14]

| ”

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## Relationship with the Democratic Party[edit]

The Vermont Progressive Party shares a number of policy objectives with the Democratic Party. In ordinary circumstances, this can be cause for concern both for the major party and the third party. The major party is at risk of having elections "spoiled" by a third-party candidate who draws support away from the major party candidate. The minor party is at risk of simply being "co-opted" into the major party, making voters feel that the presence of the minor party is redundant.

Election results suggest that in 2002, the Democratic Party's candidate for lieutenant governor, Peter Shumlin, may have lost the race to Republican Brian Dubie because VPP candidate Anthony Pollina split the center-left vote. Shumlin earned 32 percent and Pollina earned 25 percent. Taken together, a majority of Vermont voters supported center-left candidates, while only 41 percent voted for Dubie. Nevertheless, this was a plurality and Dubie won the election.[15]

Since that election, the Vermont Progressive Party has agreed not to challenge other "progressive" candidates.[11] There are two main features of Vermont's political system that allow this agreement to work well. First, Vermont allows for "cross-endorsement" or "fusion voting." This means that a single candidate can be the official candidate of more than one party.[16] Notably all three of the Vermont Progressive Party's senate candidates, as well as its 2014 candidate for state auditor were also endorsed by the Democratic Party, thus preventing two center-left candidates from "stealing" votes from one another.[2]

The second useful feature in Vermont state elections that allows the two parties to peacefully coexist is that many Vermont districts select more than one candidate for the state legislature, allowing voters to be simultaneously represented by a Democrat and a member of the VPP.[17]

## Current elected officials[edit]

### Vermont State Executives[edit]

State Auditor Doug Hoffer

### Vermont Senate[edit]

* Tanya Vyhovsky
* Kesha Ram Hinsdale

### Vermont House of Representatives[edit]

* Brian Cina
* Chloe Tomlinson
* Conor Casey
* Elizabeth Burrows
* Emilie Kornheiser
* Esme Cole
* Kirk White
* Jubilee McGill
* Kate McCann
* Mary-Katherine Stone
* Troy Headrick
* Kate Logan

## Recent news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Vermont Progressive Party. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Vermont Progressive Party - Google News

## See also[edit]

* Ballot access requirements for political parties in Vermont
* List of political parties in the United States

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Vermont General Assembly, "Legislators: All Representatives," accessed July 23, 2015
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Vermont General Assembly, "Legislators: All Senators," accessed July 23, 2015
3. ↑ This total does not include parties that have attained ballot status at the municipal level. Only those parties with state-level ballot status are included here.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Jaime Healy-Plotkin, "Research of state election agency websites and email correspondence with state election agencies," June 2024
5. ↑ As of January 2025, there were nine state-level parties that called themselves Independent or Independence parties. For the purposes of this article, these were not tallied when counting the number of distinct ballot-qualified parties in the United States because it is difficult to determine to what extent these various parties are affiliated with one another.
6. ↑ Because Washington utilizes a top-two, nonpartisan primary system, the state does not officially recognize parties. Consequently, only the state's two largest parties, the Democratic and Republican parties, were included in this tally.
7. ↑ This figure includes the D.C. Statehood Green Party, Maine's Green Independent Party, Oregon's Pacific Green Party, and West Virginia's Mountain Party.
8. ↑ This figure includes Nevada's Independent American Party and Michigan's U.S. Taxpayers Party.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Vermont Progressive Party, "Our Story," accessed February 4, 2021
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Vermont Progressive Party, "A Legacy of Progressive Leadership," accessed July 23, 2015
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 The North Star, "Dare to Win: A Brief History of Vermont's Progressive Party," accessed July 23, 2015
12. ↑ Vermont Progressive Party, "Progressive officials endorse Bernie Sanders for President: 'Give 'em Hell, Bernie'," accessed July 23, 2015
13. ↑ Vermont Progressive Party, "VPP Platform," accessed July 23, 2015
14. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
15. ↑ U.S. Election Atlas, "2002 Lt. Gubernatorial Election Results-Vermont," accessed July 23, 2015
16. ↑ OLR Research Report, "Cross-Endorsing candidates,"
17. ↑ Ballotpedia, "Vermont State Senate elections, 2014," accessed July 23, 2015

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