Vermont Public is independent, community-supported media, serving Vermont with trusted, relevant and essential information. We share stories that bring people together, from every corner of our region. New to Vermont Public? Start here.

© 2024 Vermont Public | 365 Troy Ave. Colchester, VT 05446

Public Files:
WVTI · WOXM · WVBA · WVNK · WVTQ · WVTX
WVPR · WRVT · WOXR · WNCH · WVPA
WVPS · WVXR · WETK · WVTB · WVER
WVER-FM · WVLR-FM · WBTN-FM

For assistance accessing our public files, please contact hello@vermontpublic.org or call 802-655-9451.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Explore our coverage of government and politics.

David Zuckerman Re-Elected Lieutenant Governor Of Vermont

Progressive/Democratic Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman speaks at a podium at the Democrats' Election Night event at the Hilton in Burlington.
Angela Evancie
/
VPR File
Progressive/Democrat Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman speaks at the Democrats' Election Night event at the Hilton in Burlington. Zuckerman won a second term as lieutenant governor in this election.

Progressive/Democrat David Zuckerman is headed to a second term as Vermont's lieutenant governor, having beat back a challenge by Republican state Rep. Don Turner.

Zuckerman won the race by a healthy margin, taking about 59 percent of the vote to Don Turner's nearly 40 percent.

Find national and statewide Vermont results here.

Speaking to a crowd of Democrats at the Burlington Hilton Tuesday night, Zuckerman applauded the civil tone of contest and said his victory sends a message about specific issues.

"Vermonters spoke very clearly, that we want to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour," Zuckerman said. "Vermonters said: 'We want to clean up the waterways of Vermont, we don't want to keep punting that down the road.' "

Early in the night, Republicans were hopeful about their chances in the race for the state's second-in-command but, fairly quickly, it was apparent that Turner couldn't close the gap with Zuckerman.

Republican Lieutenant Governor candidate Don Turner delivers his concession speech at the DoubleTree hotel on Tuesday night at a podium, surrounded by others.
Credit Oliver Parini / For VPR
/
For VPR
Republican lieutenant governor candidate Don Turner delivers his concession speech at the DoubleTree on Tuesday night.

In conceding the race, Turner — who's served as the House minority leader in recent years — also lauded how he and Zuckerman conducted their contest.

"I'm very proud that we were able to run a civil, positive campaign that was free of the bitterness we see all too frequently in Washington these days," Turner told supporters at the DoubleTree By Hilton Burlington.

Find Vermont House and Senate results here.

Turner's loss came despite his campaign outraising and outspending Zuckerman's by a significant margin. Asked why he thought that didn't close the gap with Zuckerman in terms of vote totals, Turner said there were factors outside his campaign's control.

"People are upset, I think ... with what's going on in the country, with what's happening in D.C., so I think that that might have been a factor, but I don't know," Turner said. "But I know that the lieutenant governor has a lot of work to make the rest of the people that didn't elect him happy."

Zuckerman, meanwhile, said the person who will really need to find common ground is Republican Gov. Phil Scott. The state's leader heads into his second term with solid majorities of Democrats in both chambers of the state Legislature.

"I think people will really look to the governor to lead on cooperation. When you're at the top, you're the leader of the state," Zuckerman said. "And I hope he sends more of his staff into the Statehouse to work with the legislative committees on these legislative bills long before the endgame."

As for  Turner, he won't hold statewide office next year and he's stepping down from the Legislature. But he does hold a leadership role in his day job, which he says he's happy to return to: town manager in his hometown of Milton.

Henry worked for Vermont Public as a reporter from 2017 to 2023.
Latest Stories