Vermont prepares for Super Tuesday

Vermonters will finally have their say in the presidential primary on Tuesday, but voters aren't wearing their support on their sleeves in the weekend leading up to the polls.

Signs of support are scarce on Burlington's Main Street, and on Shelburne Road in South Burlington, most signs urge voters to choose the best candidates for City Council. Fans of Vermont's Sen. Bernie Sanders show their support for the Democratic candidate with light blue bumper stickers on the backs of Subarus and Toyota Priuses on Interstate 89, and by getting free tattoos of the candidate's signature wild hair and thick-framed glasses.

Stories on public radio stations and letters to the editor in newspapers may be the most prominent reminders that the presidential primary will reach the Green Mountain State next week.

On Super Tuesday, presidential primaries take place in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia in addition to Vermont. Colorado also will hold caucuses on that day.

Jeff Bartley, executive director of the Vermont Republican Party, said the lack of physical signs of support may have to do with "access to swag." Most campaigns just are not setting up shop in Vermont, he said.

On election night

Sanders plans to spend Super Tuesday in his hometown of Burlington, the campaign announced on Wednesday. The Democratic candidate's appearance will be Sanders' first major political campaign event in his home state since his kickoff rally May 26 on the Burlington waterfront.

Bernie Sanders in Vermont on Super Tuesday

Conor Casey, executive director of the Vermont Democratic Party, said he thinks Sanders will certainly be the hometown favorite based on polling data. A Vermont Public Radio poll shows Sanders leading in Vermont with 83 percent of the vote.

An increase in new registered voters, especially young, first-time voters, has added to the excitement around the presidential primary, Casey said.

"It's not too often you have a national presidential campaign headquarters on Church Street, that's generated a lot of enthusiasm," Casey said.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Sander's rival for the Democratic nomination, also has a presence in the Green Mountains.

Julie McClain, the state's communication director for the Clinton campaign, said she recognizes that Sanders is popular in his home state, but the the former secretary of state has a presence in Vermont because there are people who are excited for the candidate.

In preparation for Tuesday's primary, Clinton supporters in Vermont are working hard to turn out every single vote, McClain said.That includes organizing voters for canvassing and phone banking in cites across the state.

Clinton enjoys broad support among the state's Democratic party leadership. In an op-ed published Wednesday in the Burlington Free Press, former Gov. Madeline Kunin urged readers to give Clinton "a second look."

"The truth is, she cares for the same people as Bernie does — those who are left out," Kunin wrote. "The difference is that she understands — through years of experience and activism — that American revolutions have never occurred overnight."

"I think even a lot of Hillary supporters love Sen. Sanders and they do feel a connection to him, but they feel he's not right to be president," McClain said. "We are contacting those voters and letting them know we are here."

The GOP race in Vermont, according to Bartley, will likely come down to New York businessman Donald Trump, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich — the one Republican candidate with some ground game in Vermont. On Friday, the Kasich campaign announced the candidate will hold a town hall meeting at Castleton University on Monday, his third Vermont visit leading up to the primary.

A few hundred people turned out for a town hall meeting Kasich held at Colchester High School on Feb. 20.

"Obviously this close to a race the candidate's time is the most valuable currency that we have," said Rob Nichols, a Kasich spokesman. "The fact that we'll be there is somewhat telling about what we're prioritizing."

The VPR poll released Monday shows Trump leading in Vermont with 32.4 percent, followed by Rubio with 16. 9 percent, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz with 10.5 percent and Kasich with 10 percent.

30 Vermont legislators to endorse Marco Rubio

Skip Vallee, Vermont chairman for the Rubio campaign, said he is optimistic about what Super Tuesday will bring for the Republican candidate in the state. Rubio has earned the support of 30 members of the Vermont Legislature, Lt. Gov. Phil Scott and former LT. Gov. Brian Dube.

"I think we're giving a very rigorous effort and I believe that Sen. Rubio is someone that Vermont Republicans see a lot in and strongly support," Vallee said.

Voting is from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. in most Vermont towns.

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Contact Haley Dover at 660-1850 or hdover@freepressmedia.com. Follow Haley on Twitter at www.twitter.com/HaleyRDover.