Incumbent IndependentBernie Sanders defeated Republican nominee Karen Ann Kerin, the first ever openly transgender candidate for Congress, and Democratic nomineePeter Diamondstone, a socialist activist and perennial candidate.
Kerin, atransgender woman, received national media attention for being the first openlytransgender candidate for Congress.[9] She expressed frustration with the media focus on her transgender status rather than her political positions, stating toNewsweek that she wanted reporters to "ask me more about what's in my head and less about what's between my legs".[9] There was some surprise at Kerin's decision to run as a Republican, due to that party's opposition toLGBT rights at the time; Kerin stated toThe Advocate that she believed that Republicans were stauncher defenders of civil rights than Democrats.[10] Kerin's campaign was primarily based around economic issues.[10]
There was substantial confusion surrounding the reason that Kerin had decided to undergo a sex change; Kerin herself claimed that it was for medical reasons after she was diagnosed withprostate cancer in order to avoid acolostomy, but an investigation by several newspapers revealed that whether Kerin had ever been diagnosed with prostate cancer was in question, with Kerin's ex-wife claiming that Kerin had simply wanted to change her sex, and Kerin having given an interview to aDelaware newspaper a decade prior where she discussed her reasons for changing sex, not mentioning cancer.[1] When questioned by theBarre Montpelier Times Argus Kerin was unable to explain how getting a sex change would have prevented her from needing a colostomy.[1]
County results
Municipality results
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