(Host) The Progressive Party has found itself with more primary candidates than it bargained for. Now party leaders are urging voters to write in the name of independent Congressman Bernard Sanders in the September primary against a woman who is already on the ballot as the party’s candidate.
Jane Newton is a former Liberty Union candidate who has no ties to the Progressives. Even though Sanders has indicated he will run again as an independent, Party Chairwoman Martha Abbott says she’s urging Progressives to write him in as the party’s choice.
(Abbott) “We strongly support Bernie and the work that he does in Washington and his history in Vermont with Progressives in Burlington and statewide is pretty well known. So I personally would urge people to make a point of writing him in for Congress.”
(Host) The races for attorney general and governor also include Progressive candidates with no prior connections to the party. Abbott says she hopes in future elections the Progressives will field a full slate of party candidates for statewide office.
(Abbott) “Am I going to guarantee that we will do that? No. But certainly we hope to attract a lot of people who will run for various offices and it would be wonderful to offer an alternative on the ballot in all of the statewide races.”
(Host) Abbott says this year, the party plans to spend its time and money on only two statewide races: lieutenant governor and attorney general. She says Progressives are also running in about a dozen legislative races around the state.