August 10, 2013; Kyle Midura; WCAX
The next statewide election is more than year away, but Vermont Progressives are already doing political calculus.
About 40 people attended the party's state committee meeting in Bethel Saturday. Party members debated the merits of challenging Democratic Governor Peter Shumlin in next year's election. Party leaders say, while they're not thrilled by social welfare cuts pushed by the Governor, they say he is fighting for some similar causes like the closure of Vermont Yankee and single payer healthcare.
"We can't pretend that we don't have a Democratic Governor who is talking about some of our issues, even as this betrayal on some of the basic economic stuff hits and hits hard," said Progressive Chris Pearson.