MONTPELIER, Vt., Aug. 24 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy had no difficulty winning the Democratic primary in Vermont Tuesday as he goes after a seventh term, returns indicated.
With 30 percent of the precincts counted, Leahy had 89 percent of the votes to 11 percent for Daniel Freilich, the Burlington (Vt.) Free Press reported.
Leahy will see Freilich again in the general election, when the 47-year-old Wilmington doctor will be on the ballot as an independent. Len Britton, the Republican hopeful, was unopposed in the primary.
"You know, the whole national story this year has been that incumbents are all in trouble, but Vermonters pick and choose," Leahy said following his primary victory. "They decide if someone is doing the job. I'm humbled to win a higher percentage than I expected in an anti-incumbent year."
Freilich said he wasn't surprised by the results but expects a different outcome in November.
"We wanted to establish a framework as a springboard for Nov. 2," he said. "I am running on some very basic values -- term limits, no special interest money, putting country ahead of party -- that are important to independents and centrist Democrats and Republicans."
Also on the fall ballot will be independents Stephen Cain and Johenry Nunes, Peter Diamondstone of the Socialist or Liberty Union parties, Cris Ericson of the United States Marijuana Party and Rick Russell of the Working Families Party.
In the race for Vermont governor, where incumbent Republican James H. Douglas isn't running again and Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie was unopposed on the GOP ballot, there was a tight four-way race on the Democratic side. With 29 percent of the precincts in, Doug Racine had 26 percent, Deb Markowitz 25 percent, Peter Shumlin 24 percent and Matt Dunne 19 percent. Susan Bartlett had 6 percent.
In the state's at-large congressional race, Paul Beaudry led in the Republican primary with 48 percent to 39 percent for John Mitchell and 13 percent for Keith Stern. Peter Welch is the two-term incumbent Democrat.
