1998 United States Senate election in Vermont

none March 2026 September 2023 1998 United States Senate election in Vermont Vermont presidential no 1992 United States Senate election in Vermont 1992 2004 United States Senate election in Vermont 2004 November 3, 1998 150x150px Patrick Leahy 1999.jpg Patrick Leahy Democratic Party (United States) 154,567 72.22% 3x4.svg Fred Tuttle Republican Party (United States) 48,051 22.45% x220px County results x220px Municipality results Leahy: #a5b0ff 40–50% #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584cde 70–80% #3933e5 80–90%Tuttle: #ffb2b2 40–50% #e27f7f 50–60% U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy Democratic Party (United States) Patrick Leahy Democratic Party (United States) The 1998 United States Senate election in Vermont was held November 3, 1998. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy won reelection to a fifth term.http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=155 VT US Senate Race - Nov 03, 1998 Our Campaigns July 15, 2017 Notably, the Republican nominee, dairy farmer and actor Fred Tuttle, had run to draw attention to the mock documentary film Man with a Plan, of which he was the star, and to ridicule Republican candidate Jack McMullen as too new to Vermont to represent it in Washington. With no previous political experience, Tuttle secured the nomination, and immediately endorsed Leahy and all but withdrew from the race. His campaign, which had been conducted primarily from his front porch in Tunbridge, Vermont, spent only $251 during the election season and featured the slogans "Spread Fred!" and "Why Not?". Despite his endorsement of Leahy, Tuttle still received 48,051 votes, or 22% of the total.https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/07/us/fred-tuttle-84-farmer-and-celebrity-dies.html Fred Tuttle, 84, Farmer and Celebrity, Dies Martin Douglas October 7, 2003 The New York Times October 14, 2017 en-US 0362-4331 Democratic primary Candidates Patrick Leahy, incumbent U.S. Senator Results Democratic primary resultsWilliam Senning http://vermont-elections.org/elections1/1998PrimaryCanvass.pdf Elections | Home | Vermont Secretary of State Vermont-elections.org May 9, 2017 July 15, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20121017232415/http://vermont-elections.org/elections1/1998PrimaryCanvass.pdf 2012-10-17 dead Patrick Leahy (incumbent) Democratic Party (United States) 18,643 96.65% Write-ins Democratic Party (United States) 647 3.35% 19,290 100.00% Grassroots primary Candidates Robert Melamede Results Grassroots Party primary results Robert Melamede Grassroots Party 137 59.57% Write-ins Grassroots Party 93 40.43% 230 100.00% Republican primary Candidates Fred Tuttle, dairy farmer and actor Jack McMullen, businessman Campaign McMullen had maintained a vacation home in Warren, Vermont beginning in 1983, and he made Vermont his permanent residence beginning in 1997."Baruth: The Political Art Behind Fred Tuttle, The Man With A Plan""Reflecting On The 1998 Tuttle-McMullen Debate" In 1998, he declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senator."Reflecting On The 1998 Tuttle-McMullen Debate" As related by Chris Graff, longtime Vermont bureau chief for the Associated Press, McMullen's candidacy sustained an immediate blow when Graff interviewed retired Senator Robert Stafford about the January 1998 ice storm and other current events.He was in right place, at right time in history During the discussion, Stafford persistently got McMullen's name wrong, calling him "Mulholland".He was in right place, at right time in history Graff wrote that he tried to politely correct Stafford, but finally realized that Stafford's intent was to convey his opinion that McMullen was too unknown and too new to Vermont to be a viable candidate.He was in right place, at right time in history The lede in the resulting story was that Vermont's senior Republican was of the view that McMullen had not lived in the state long enough to represent it in the senate, and Stafford's dismissal of McMullen as "Mulholland or whatever his name is" became a running joke among reporters and political operatives.He was in right place, at right time in history In the Republican primary, McMullen faced Fred Tuttle, a retired dairy farmer who had starred in a mock documentary film called Man with a Plan, a comedy about a retired farmer who decides to run for Vermont's seat in the United States House of Representatives."Reflecting On The 1998 Tuttle-McMullen Debate" Tuttle and filmmaker John O'Brien considered using a Tuttle candidacy to promote the film, and accepted a suggestion from political columnist Peter Freyne to challenge McMullen rather than incumbent Congressman Bernie Sanders."Baruth: The Political Art Behind Fred Tuttle, The Man With A Plan" Tuttle then ran in the Republican U.S. Senate primary, partly to generate awareness of the movie, and partly to mock McMullen as a carpetbagger and flatlander (Vermont slang for an out-of-stater) who had moved to Vermont only because he thought it would be easier to run for the Senate there than in more populous Massachusetts."Baruth: The Political Art Behind Fred Tuttle, The Man With A Plan" McMullen was slow to recognize that the Tuttle/O'Brien strategy was viable; when the McMullen campaign challenged Tuttle's nominating petitions as 23 short of the required 500 signatures, Tuttle turned in an additional 2,300."Baruth: The Political Art Behind Fred Tuttle, The Man With A Plan" During a debate before the primary, Tuttle underscored McMullen's newness to Vermont."Baruth: The Political Art Behind Fred Tuttle, The Man With A Plan" One question he posed to McMullen was "What's a tedder?""Reflecting On The 1998 Tuttle-McMullen Debate" (A machine for drying hay.)"Reflecting On The 1998 Tuttle-McMullen Debate" Another was "What's rowen?" (The second cutting of hay from the same field in one season.)"Reflecting On The 1998 Tuttle-McMullen Debate" Tuttle continued with queries like "How many teats a Holstein got?""Reflecting On The 1998 Tuttle-McMullen Debate" (Four; McMullen guessed six.)"Reflecting On The 1998 Tuttle-McMullen Debate" Tuttle then provided McMullen a list of local place names and asked him to pronounce them."Reflecting On The 1998 Tuttle-McMullen Debate" McMullen's inexperience with Vermont geography showed, as he mispronounced names including Leicester (Lester is correct), Calais (callous being the correct way), and Charlotte (shar-LOT, not Shar-Lit)."Reflecting On The 1998 Tuttle-McMullen Debate" The campaign made national headlines, and added to Tuttle's semi-celebrity status."Baruth: The Political Art Behind Fred Tuttle, The Man With A Plan" Despite McMullen spending over $500,000 to Tuttle's $200, on primary day, Tuttle beat McMullen 28,355 votes to 23,321 (54% to 44%)."Baruth: The Political Art Behind Fred Tuttle, The Man With A Plan" Tuttle immediately announced his intention to vote for incumbent Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy, after which the two made several joint appearances."Baruth: The Political Art Behind Fred Tuttle, The Man With A Plan" On election day, Leahy defeated Tuttle and several minor candidates to win reelection."Baruth: The Political Art Behind Fred Tuttle, The Man With A Plan" Results Republican primary results Fred Tuttle Republican Party (United States) 28,355 53.69% Jack McMullen Republican Party (United States) 23,321 44.16% Write-ins Republican Party (United States) 1,137 2.15% 52,813 100.00% General election Candidates Major Patrick Leahy (D), incumbent U.S. Senator Fred Tuttle (R), dairy farmer and actor (endorsed Leahy) Minor Hugh Douglas (L) Jerry Levy (LU) Robert Melamede (GR) Barry Nelson (I) Polling Poll source Date(s)administered SamplesizeKey:A – all adultsRV – registered votersLV – likely votersV – unclear Marginof error PatrickLeahy (D) FredTuttle (R) UndecidedMason DixonCNN AllPolitics Election '98 - Vermont 1998 Polls https://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/1998/states/VT/polls/VT98S.html CNN 29 June 2025 https://archive.today/20250629205114/https://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/1998/states/VT/polls/VT98S.html 29 June 2025 liveAugust 1–3, 1998628 (LV)± 4.0%69%20%11% Results General election resultshttps://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/1998/98Stat.htm#45 1998 Election Statistics - Legislative Activities - Office of the Clerk Clerk.house.gov July 15, 2017 Democratic Party (United States) Patrick Leahy (incumbent) 154,567 72.22% +18.05% Republican Party (United States) Fred Tuttle 48,051 22.45% -20.90% Libertarian Party (United States) Hugh Douglas 4,199 1.96% Independent (United States) Barry Nelson 2,893 1.35% Grassroots Party Robert Melamede 2,459 1.15% Liberty Union Party Jerry Levy 1,238 0.58% -1.21% Write-ins 629 0.29% 106,516 49.77% +38.95% 214,036 Democratic Party (United States) See also 1998 United States Senate elections Notes References Sources Baruth: The political art behind Fred Tuttle, the Man with a Plan https://vtdigger.org/2016/11/27/baruth-political-art-behind-fred-tuttle-man-plan/ VTDigger 12 May 2021 27 November 2016 "Baruth: The Political Art Behind Fred Tuttle, The Man With A Plan" Graff Christopher December 24, 2006 He was in right place, at right time in history http://www.rutlandherald.com/articles/he-was-in-right-place-at-right-time-in-history/ Rutland Herald Rutland, VT He was in right place, at right time in history May 12, 2021 September 5, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180905102234/https://www.rutlandherald.com/articles/he-was-in-right-place-at-right-time-in-history/ dead Lindholm Jane Smith Matthew F. June 18, 2018 Cow Teats & How To Say 'Calais': Reflecting On The 1998 Tuttle-McMullen Debate http://digital.vpr.net/post/cow-teats-how-say-calais-reflecting-1998-tuttle-mcmullen-debate#stream/0 Vermont Public Radio Colchester, VT "Reflecting On The 1998 Tuttle-McMullen Debate" United States Senate Vermont 1998 Category:Patrick Leahy