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Christine Hallquist, Transgender Candidate, Wins Nomination For Vermont Governor

(CBS) -- Vermont made history Tuesday night, with Christine Hallquist, a transgender candidate, winning the Democratic primary in the race for governor. Hallquist will face Republican Gov. Phil Scott, who held off a challenge from Springfield businessman Keith Stern.

Hallquist, 62, defeated three other Democrats. Her platform included getting Vermont residents higher-paying jobs, health care for their families and better education for their children.

Earlier Tuesday, she was interviewed on CBSN's "Red & Blue" with Elaine Quijano.

"It will be historic for the nation," she told Quijano if she were to be nominated. "I'm proud to be the person to help the nation widen its moral compass."

180814-cbsn-christine-hallquist-02.png Christine Hallquist  CBS NEWS

"Vermonters are going to elect me for what I'm going to do for Vermont," Hallquist said. "Vermont has always been a leader in civil rights. We have some of the best transgender protection laws in the country. It's a state that's really welcomed me with open arms."

Hallquist, a former electric company executive, has said that she is running for governor based on her managerial ability and with a progressive campaign that focuses on economic development for rural Vermont.

The Associated Press says she has also won support from The Victory Fund, a political action committee that backs LGBTQ candidates. They have called her a "game changer."

In her interview, Hallquist says she "has a long vision for Vermont" and wants to make internet access available to everyone.

"I will connect everyone and every business with fiber optic cables so every Vermonter can be connected to the internet," Hallquist said. "What we're seeing in rural Vermont and rural America is the same thing that happened in the 1930s ... when the cities had electricity, rural America did not. Sixty percent of the land mass in Vermont can't connect to the Internet -- and it's so critical for business."

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