United States House of Representatives elections in Vermont, 2014
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November 4, 2014 |
August 26, 2014 |
Peter Welch  |
Peter Welch |
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Cook Political Report: Solid Democratic[1] Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe D[2] |
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The 2014 U.S. House of Representatives elections in Vermont took place on November 4, 2014. Voters elected one candidate to serve in the U.S. House from the state's At-Large Congressional District. Incumbent Peter Welch defeated Mark Donka (R), Cris Ericson (I), Liberty Union Party candidate Matthew Andrews, Energy Independence Party candidate Jerry Trudell and Randall Meyer (I) in the general election. The race was rated a "Safe Democrat" contest by Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call.[3]
| Candidate Filing Deadline | Primary Election | General Election |
|---|---|---|
Primary: A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Vermont utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[4][5]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Voter registration: To vote in the primary, voters had to register by 5 p.m. on August 26, 2014. For the general election, the voter registration deadline was October 29, 2014.[6]
- See also: Vermont elections, 2014
Incumbent: The incumbent heading into the election was Peter Welch (D), who was first elected in 2006.
Vermont has a single At-Large Congressional District, which is made up of the entire state.
Partisan breakdown
Heading into the November 4 election, the Democratic Party held the one congressional seat from Vermont.
| Members of the U.S. House from Vermont -- Partisan Breakdown | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 2014 | After the 2014 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 1 | 1 | |
| Republican Party | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 1 | 1 | |
Candidates
| Candidate ballot access |
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General election candidates
- Peter Welch - Incumbent
Mark Donka
Cris Ericson[7][8]- Matthew Andrews - Liberty Union Party[9]
- Randall Meyer[10]
- Jerry Trudell - Energy Independence Party[10]
August 26, 2014, Republican primary results
Election results
General election
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Peter Welch Incumbent |
64.4% | 123,349 | |
| Republican | Mark Donka | 31% | 59,432 | |
| Independent | Cris Ericson | 1.4% | 2,750 | |
| Liberty Union Party | Matthew Andrews | 1.1% | 2,071 | |
| Independent | Randall Meyer | 0.9% | 1,685 | |
| Energy Independence Party | Jerry Trudell | 1.1% | 2,024 | |
| N/A | Write-in | 0.1% | 193 | |
| Total Votes | 191,504 | |||
| Source: Vermont Secretary of State | ||||
Margin of victory
The margin of victory in Vermont's U.S. House race was 33.4 percent. This was calculated by examining the percentage difference between the two candidates who received the most votes.
Republican primary
Mark Donka defeated Donald Russell and Donald Nolte in the Republican primary.[12]
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mark Donka |
35.7% | 4,341 | ||
| Don Russell | 33.1% | 4,020 | ||
| Donald Nolte | 31.3% | 3,802 | ||
| Total Votes | 12,163 | |||
| Source: Results via Associated Press |
||||
Vote counting
On Wednesday, August 27, Donka took to Twitter to express his frustration with the secretary of state.
Key votes
Below are important votes that Welch cast during the 113th Congress.
National security
NDAA
Welch voted in opposition of HR 1960 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. The bill passed the House on June 14, 2013, with a vote of 315 - 108. Both parties were somewhat divided on the vote.[13]
DHS Appropriations
Welch voted in opposition of HR 2217 - the DHS Appropriations Act of 2014. The bill passed the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 245 - 182 and was largely along party lines.[13]
Keystone Pipeline Amendment
Welch voted in favor of House Amendment 69, which would have amended HR 3 to "require that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, conduct a study of the vulnerabilities of the Keystone XL pipeline to a terrorist attack and certify that necessary protections have been put in place." The amendment failed on May 22, 2013, with a vote of 176 - 239 and was largely along party lines.[13]
CISPA (2013)
Welch voted in opposition of HR 624 - the CISPA (2013). The bill passed the House on April 18, 2013, with a vote of 288 - 127. The bill permitted federal intelligence agencies to share cybersecurity intelligence and information with private entities and utilities.[14] The bill was largely supported by Republicans, but divided the Democratic Party.[13]
Economy
Farm bill
On January 29, 2014, the U.S. House approved the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, H.R. 2642, also known as the Farm Bill.[15] The bill passed by a vote of 251-166. The nearly 1,000-page bill reformed and continued various programs of the Department of Agriculture through 2018. The $1 trillion bill expanded crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and created new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that would kick in when prices drop.[16][17] However, cuts to the food stamp program cut an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states.[17] Welch voted with 88 other Democratic representatives in favor of the bill.
2014 Budget
On January 15, 2014, the Republican-run House approved H.R. 3547, a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September 30, 2014.[18][19] The House voted 359-67 for the 1,582 page bill, with 64 Republicans and three Democrats voting against the bill.[19] The omnibus package included 12 annual spending bills to fund federal operations.[20] It included a 1 percent increase in the paychecks of federal workers and military personnel, a $1 billion increase in Head Start funding for early childhood education, reduced funding to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency, and the protection of the Affordable Care Act from any drastic cuts. Welch joined with the majority of the Democratic party and voted in favor of the bill.[18][19]
Government shutdown
- See also: United States budget debate, 2013
On September 30, 2013, the House passed a final stopgap spending bill before the shutdown went into effect. The bill included a one-year delay of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate and would have also stripped the bill of federal subsidies for congressional members and staff. It passed through the House with a vote of 228-201.[21] At 1 a.m. on October 1, 2013, one hour after the shutdown officially began, the House voted to move forward with going to a conference. In short order, Sen. Harry Reid rejected the call to conference.[22] Welch voted against the stopgap spending bill that would have delayed the individual mandate.[23]
The shutdown ended on October 16, 2013, when the House took a vote on HR 2775 after it was approved by the Senate. The bill to reopen the government lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies.[24] The House passed the legislation shortly after the Senate, by a vote of 285-144, with all 144 votes against the legislation coming from Republican members. Welch voted for HR 2775.[25]
Immigration
Morton Memos Prohibition
Welch voted against House Amendment 136 - Prohibits the Enforcement of the Immigration Executive Order. The amendment was adopted by the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 224 - 201. The purpose of the amendment as stated on the official text is to "prohibit the use of funds to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the Morton Memos." These memos would have granted administrative amnesty to certain individuals residing in the United States without legal status.[26] The vote largely followed party lines.[27]
Healthcare
Repealing Obamacare
Welch has voted against all attempts to repeal or delay the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.[28]
Campaign contributions
Peter Welch
Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Welch's reports.[29]
| Peter Welch (2014) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| April Quarterly[30] | April 15, 2013 | $1,239,101.19 | $56,503.99 | $(135,174.63) | $1,160,430.55 | ||||
| July Quarterly[31] | July 15, 2013 | $1,160,430.55 | $123,035.00 | $(49,569.16) | $1,233,896.39 | ||||
| October Quarterly[32] | October 15, 2013 | $1,233,896.39 | $213,252.39 | $(63,689.46) | $1,383,459.32 | ||||
| Year-end[33] | January 31, 2014 | $1,383,459 | $128,023 | $(69,242) | $1,442,230 | ||||
| April Quarterly[34] | April 15, 2014 | $1,442,240.40 | $103,861.00 | $(128,588.11) | $1,417,513.29 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $624,675.38 | $(446,263.36) | ||||||||
District history
| Candidate ballot access |
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2012
On November 6, 2012, Peter Welch (D) won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Mark Donka (R), James Desrochers (I), Andre LaFramboise (VoteKISS) and Jane Newton (Liberty Union Party) in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Peter Welch Incumbent |
72% | 208,600 | |
| Republican | Mark Donka | 23.3% | 67,543 | |
| Independent | James Desrochers | 2.9% | 8,302 | |
| Third | Andre LaFramboise | 0.4% | 1,153 | |
| Third | Jane Newton | 1.4% | 4,065 | |
| Total Votes | 289,663 | |||
| Source: Vermont Board of Elections "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
2010
On November 2, 2010, Peter Welch won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Paul D. Beaudry (R), Gus Jaccaci (I) and Jane Newton (Socialist) in the general election.[35]
| U.S. House, Vermont At-Large District General Election, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Peter Welch incumbent |
64.6% | 154,006 | |
| Republican | Paul D. Beaudry | 32% | 76,403 | |
| Independent | Gus Jaccaci | 2% | 4,704 | |
| Socialist | Jane Newtown | 1.4% | 3,222 | |
| N/A | Write-in | 0.1% | 186 | |
| Total Votes | 238,521 | |||
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "2014 HOUSE RACE RATINGS FOR AUGUST 8, 2014," accessed August 20, 2014
- ↑ Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2014 House Races," accessed August 20, 2014
- ↑ Roll Call, "2014 Election Race Ratings," accessed August 20, 2014
- ↑ NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed October 4, 2024
- ↑ Vermont Secretary of State,"Party Organization," accessed October 4, 2024
- ↑ Vermont Secretary of State Website, "Youth Vote: Frequently Asked Questions," accessed January 3, 2014
- ↑ LiveJournal.com, "2014 Vote Cris Ericson," accessed April 29, 2014
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Vermont Secretary of State, "2014 Primary Election Candidate Listing- As of June 11, 4:00 pm," accessed June 12, 2014
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Vermont Secretary of State, "2014 Primary Election Candidate Listing- As of June 13, 4:00 pm," accessed August 20, 2014
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Vermont Secretary of State, "2014 General Election Candidate List," accessed October 6, 2014
- ↑ Mark Donka for VT, "Home," accessed April 29, 2014 (dead link)
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Associated Press, "Vermont - Summary Vote Results," accessed August 28, 2014
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Project Vote Smart, "Representative Welch's Voting Records on National Security," accessed October 14, 2013
- ↑ The Library of Congress, "Bill Summary & Status - 113th Congress (2013 - 2014) - H.R.624," accessed August 27, 2013
- ↑ Clerk of U.S. House, "Roll Call Vote 31: H.R. 2642," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ Politico, "House clears farm bill," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 NY Times, "Senate Passes Long-Stalled Farm Bill, With Clear Winners and Losers," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 CNN.com, "House passes compromise $1.1 trillion budget for 2014," accessed January 20, 2014
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 U.S. House, "Roll Call Vote 21," accessed January 20, 2014
- ↑ Roll Call, "Omnibus Sails Through the Senate," January 16, 2014
- ↑ Clerk of the U.S. House, "Final vote results for Roll Call 504," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ Buzzfeed, "Government Shutdown: How We Got Here," accessed October 1, 2013
- ↑ Clerk of the U.S. House, "Final vote results for Roll Call 504," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Reid, McConnell propose bipartisan Senate bill to end shutdown, extend borrowing," accessed October 16, 2013
- ↑ U.S. House, "Final vote results for Roll Call 550," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ The Library of Congress, "H.AMDT.136," accessed August 28, 2013
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Representative Welch's Voting Records on Immigration," accessed October 14, 2013
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Representative Welch's Voting Records on Issue: Health and Healthcare," accessed October 14, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Welch 2014 Summary reports," accessed July 25, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "April Quarterly," accessed July 25, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "July Quarterly," accessed July 25, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "October Quarterly," accessed October 29, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Year-End Report," accessed February 17, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "April Quarterly," accessed April 18, 2014
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
