Following the AP projection, the Republican Governors Association (RGA) released a statement on Hallquist’s victory: “Vermont Democrats have selected a candidate committed to increasing the tax burden on working families,” RGA Spokesman John Burke said, referring to Hallquist’s plan to increase some property taxes.

Hallquist is the former CEO of Vermont Electric Cooperative, a member-owned utilities group, and has stressed that while media coverage often focuses exclusively on her identity as a transgender woman, she wants to be seen as more than an LGBTQ candidate. Hallquist points out that she’s also an engineer, an innovator and a progressive.

pic.twitter.com/bK0lEk2SbQ

— Christine Hallquist (@christineforvt) August 15, 2018

During her primary race, she received the backing of Justice Democrats, a progressive political action committee founded by former Bernie Sanders campaign leaders, including The Young Turks’ Cenk Uygur, which helped propel leftist superstar Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to her victory over longtime New York 14th Congressional District incumbent Joe Crowley earlier this summer.

\"Vermont
AP
Vermont Democratic gubernatorial candidate Christine Hallquist, center, a transgender woman and former electric company executive, embraces supporters after claiming victory during her election night party in Burlington, Vt., Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018.
>

Some commentators have dubbed the 2018 midterm cycle the \"Year of the Woman\" due to the record numbers of female candidates for elected office, and governor’s races have so far proved no exception: Out of 36 gubernatorial races in 2018, 21 likely have women candidates running, according to Rutgers’ Center for American Women and Politics.

With general elections still to come, however, it remains to be seen whether Hallquist and other progressive women will sweep governor’s seats nationwide with a \"blue wave.\"

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