1992 United States House of Representatives election in Vermont
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The 1992 United States House of Representatives election in Vermont was held on Tuesday, November 3, 1992, to elect the U.S. representative from the state's at-large congressional district. The election coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election and an election to the U.S. Senate.
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November 3, 1992
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  Sanders: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Philbin: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Independent Bernie Sanders would win re-election to a second term in Congress, defeating Republican Tim Philbin and Democrat Lewis Young.
Republican primary
Candidates
Campaign
A total of three candidates made the ballot in the Republican primary, insurance agent Tim Philbin, Rutland mayor Jeff Wennberg, and Ralph Sinclair.[3] Wennberg was considered a moderate Republican, backing abortion rights and tax increases on the rich, while Philbin and Sinclair were conservative Republicans who were opposed to abortion and any tax increases.[3] Originally, Wennberg was considered the frontrunner in the primary, but in early September 1992 Sinclair, who had fallen into a distinct third place in the race, withdrew his candidacy and backed Philbin, which was viewed as potentially giving the latter the edge.[3]
Endorsements
Federal officials
Organizations
Newspapers and publications
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tim Philbin | 18,489 | 50.21 | |
| Republican | Jeff Wennberg | 14,881 | 40.41 | |
| Republican | Ralph H. Sinclair (withdrawn) | 3,250 | 8.83 | |
| Republican | Write-ins | 203 | 0.55 | |
| Total votes | 36,823 | 100.00 | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared
- Lewis E. Young, chef and candidate for Vermont secretary of state in 1988[9]
Declined
- David Wolk, state senator[10]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Lewis E. Young | 16,305 | 90.08 | |
| Democratic | Write-ins | 1,796 | 9.92 | |
| Total votes | 18,101 | 100.00 | ||
Liberty Union primary
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty Union | Peter Diamondstone | 308 | 95.36 | |
| Liberty Union | Write-ins | 15 | 4.64 | |
| Total votes | 323 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Candidates
- John Dewey (Natural Law), former director of Flight Training at the Florida Institute of Technology[11]
- Peter Diamondstone (Liberty Union), perennial candidate and socialist activist[12]
- Douglas M. Miller (Freedom for LaRouche)[12]
- Tim Philbin (Republican), insurance agent[1]
- Bernie Sanders (Independent), incumbent U.S. representative[12]
- Lewis E. Young (Democratic), chef and candidate for Vermont secretary of state in 1988[9]
Campaign
As the campaign began, Sanders and Philbin immediately began to attack each other in the press, with their sniping deemed by the Brattleboro Reformer as a "fax war".[13] Sanders attacked Philbin for opposing abortions, even in cases of rape and incest, and championed his own record supporting abortion rights.[13] Philbin responded by accusing Sanders of misrepresenting his position, and accused the incumbent of supporting "fat budgets and high taxes".[13]
Debates
| 1992 Vermont at-large congressional district general election debates | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Date & time | Host | Moderator | Link | Participants | ||||||||||
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Non-invitee |
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| Peter Diamondstone | Timothy Philbin | Bernie Sanders | Lewis E. Young | ||||||||||||
| 1[14] | September 26, 1992 |
P | P | P | P | ||||||||||
Endorsements
State officials
- Donald M. Hooper, state representative and Democratic nominee for Vermont Secretary of State[17]
Labor unions
Newspapers and publications
State officials
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Tim Philbin |
Bernie Sanders |
Lewis E. Young |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Political/Media Research[22] | September 15, 1992 | 610 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 22% | 43% | 9% | ||
| The Burlington Free Press[23] | ± 5.0% | 23% | 49% | 5% | 1%[a] | 22% | ||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Bernie Sanders (incumbent) | 162,724 | 57.78 | |
| Republican | Tim Philbin | 86,901 | 30.86 | |
| Democratic | Lewis E. Young | 22,279 | 7.91 | |
| Liberty Union | Peter Diamondstone | 3,660 | 1.30 | |
| Natural Law | John Dewey | 3,549 | 1.26 | |
| Freedom for LaRouche | Douglas M. Miller | 2,049 | 0.73 | |
| Write-ins | N/A | 464 | 0.16 | |
| Total votes | 281,626 | 100.00 | ||
| Independent hold | ||||
Notes
- Peter Diamondstone with 1%