The hats are all in the political ring. Vermont's filing deadline passed Monday for major party primaries this fall, and topping the list is the unusual jockeying in the U.S. Senate race. U.S. Rep. Bernard Sanders, an Independent, is running in the Democratic primary this fall in his bid to be the state's next senator, where, according to filings due Monday in the Secretary of State's Office, he will face four other lesser-known members of the party. But Sanders has vowed not to accept the Democratic nomination if, as expected, he wins it. That move will cut short the senatorial aspirations of Democrats Peter Moss, Louis Thabault, Larry Drown and Craig Hill, who will find themselves unable to run as the party standard bearer. It is Sanders' first direct run as a Democrat, a label he has never previously endorsed, as he girds for a general election fight against businessman Richard Tarrant for the right to succeed Sen. James Jeffords, the three-term incumbent who is retiring this year. Before Tarrant can face Sanders, he has to beat back Greg Parke of Rutland and Cris Ericson of Chester.
The race for the Senate may have the highest profile this election season, but incumbents, perennial candidates and novices alike have signed up for all the major party primaries that will determine who will square off for the eight statewide offices and 180 legislative seats up for grabs in November. In the race for U.S. House — one of the closest and most volatile this election cycle — Peter Welch is the sole Democrat. His Republican opponent will either be Martha Rainville or state Sen. Mark Shepard.