ADDISON COUNTY — Addison County residents turned out at the polls in large numbers on Tuesday to primarily back Democratic candidates for federal, statewide and local offices.
The tidal wave of Donald Trump mania that swept a sizable part of the nation did not swamp Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign locally in Addison County or across Vermont. The Democratic standard bearer easily beat Trump, the Republican nominee, in the county — the tally was 11,216 to 5,297.
Clinton and running mate Tim Kaine won Vermont’s three electoral votes by garnering 178,389 tallies in the Green Mountain State, compared with Trump and VP candidate Mike Pence’s 95,319.
But, when looking at the national picture, that’s where the partying ended for local Democrats and the back slapping began for Trump advocates. Trump, a New York real estate developer and businessman, claimed 279 electoral votes, to former Secretary of State Clinton’s 228 (with final results in New Hampshire, Michigan and Arizona still to be called). The fact that Clinton won at least 200,000 more popular votes than Trump nationwide was no comfort to her supporters.
Voters in the county’s 23 communities plus nearby Brandon collectively followed statewide trends in the rest of the big elections on Tuesday. Local voters endorsed:
•  Longtime incumbent U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., over Republican challenger Scott Milne of Pomfret. Leahy topped Milne by a 11,880-to-6,290 tally in Addison County. Leahy earned 60 percent of the statewide vote (191,693 tallies), compared to 32.4 percent for Milne (103,374).
•  Republican Phil Scott of Berlin over Democrat Sue Minter of Waterbury, 10,098 to 8,573, in the race for governor. Scott is the current lieutenant governor and Minter is the former Vermont Secretary of Transportation.
Scott will replace current Gov. Peter Shumlin in January.
Former Red Sox pitcher Bill “Spaceman” Lee finished a distant third, with 442 votes in the county.
Scott ended up taking a little more than 52 percent of the statewide vote (166,000 tallies), compared to 43.6 percent (138,754 votes) for Minter, according to the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office.
•  Democrat/Progressive Dave Zuckerman over Republican Randy Brock in the race for lieutenant governor. Zuckerman, a Hinesburg farmer and state senator, earned the county nod with 9,902 tallies, compared to 8,469 for Brock, the former state auditor and Middlebury College alum.
Zuckerman won 52.6 percent of the statewide vote (159,323 tallies), compared to 43.8 percent (139,010 tallies) for Brock.
•  Incumbent Democratic state Auditor Doug Hoffer over Republican challenger Dan Feliciano of Essex, 10,211 to 6,853. Hoffer won 50 percent of the statewide vote, compared to 36 percent for Feliciano.
•  Democrat T.J. Donovan of South Burlington over Republican Deborah Bucknam of Walden in the race for attorney general. Donovan, the Chittenden County prosecutor, won in Addison County by a 12,739-to-5,060 margin over Bucknam. Donovan won 63 percent of the statewide vote, compared to 27.9 percent for Bucknam.
•  Incumbent U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., with 16,226 votes. Welch earned both the Democratic and Republican nominations.
In the a very animated four-person race for Addison County High Bailiff, Democrat Ron Holmes won with 8,309 votes. Finishing out of the running were Republican Charles Clark (6,487 tallies), who was the incumbent; Independent Bruce Nason (1,463 tallies); and Independent Mark Stacey (775).
Reporter John Flowers is at [email protected].