Cris Ericson
Cris Ericson
Personal details
Born (1952-05-16)May 16, 1952(age 73) Washington, D.C. , U.S. Party Independent (2006, 2008, 2014, 2018, 2022)Other political affiliations Make Marijuana Legal (2002) Marijuana (2004) Republican (2006) U.S. Marijuana Party (2010, 2012) Democratic (2016) Progressive (2020) Cris Ericson (born May 16, 1952) is an American marijuana legalization activist and perennial candidate for public office in Vermont . She has unsuccessfully run for the governorship of Vermont nine times and for a seat in the United States Congress eight times.
Early life Cris Ericson was born in Washington, D.C., on May 16, 1952. From 1970 to 1971, she attended Goddard College . In 1976, she graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a bachelor of arts degree.
Career Vermont elections During the 2002 Vermont gubernatorial election Ericson was one of four independent candidates and ran under the Make Marijuana Legal party line. In the general election she placed fourth behind Jim Douglas , Doug Racine , and Cornelius Hogan.
During the 2004 Vermont gubernatorial election she ran as an independent under the Marijuana party line. In the general election she placed third behind Douglas and Peter Clavelle .
She ran for governor of Vermont in 2006 , 2008 , 2010 , 2012 , 2014 , and 2018 .
In 2020, she ran for the gubernatorial, lieutenant gubernatorial, attorney general, treasurer, secretary of state, and auditor nominations of the Vermont Progressive Party . The Vermont Progressive Party sought volunteers to run in the primaries and for party members to write-in David Zuckerman in the gubernatorial primary and Doug Hoffer in the auditor general primary to prevent Ericson from winning. She was able to appear on the ballot due to lower ballot access requirements instituted due to COVID-19. She was defeated by Zuckerman, who won as a write-in candidate, in the gubernatorial primary. However, she won the Progressive nominations for lieutenant governor, auditor, secretary of state, attorney general, and treasurer. Ericson called for a recount in the gubernatorial primary.
United States Congress During the 2004 United States Senate election in Vermont Ericson ran under the Marijuana party line and placed third behind Patrick Leahy and John A. McMullen .
During the 2006 United States Senate election in Vermont she ran for the Republican nomination, but was defeated by Richard Tarrant . In the general election she ran as an independent and placed third behind Bernie Sanders and Tarrant.
Electoral history 2002 Vermont gubernatorial election Party Candidate Votes % Republican Jim Douglas 103,436 44.94% Democratic Doug Racine 97,565 42.39% Independent Cornelius Hogan 22,353 9.71% Marijuana Cris Ericson 1,737 0.76% Progressive Michael J. Badamo 1,380 0.60% Libertarian Joel W. Williams 938 0.41% Grassroots Patricia Hejny 771 0.34% Restore Justice-Freedom Marilynn Christian 638 0.28% Liberty Union Peter Diamondstone 625 0.27% Independent Brian Pearl 569 0.25% Write-in 149 0.07% Total votes 230,161 100.00%
2004 Vermont gubernatorial election Party Candidate Votes % Republican Jim Douglas (incumbent)181,540 58.74% Democratic Peter Clavelle 117,327 37.96% Marijuana Cris Ericson 4,221 1.37% Independent Patricia Hejny 2,431 0.79% Libertarian Harland Arthur Macia III 2,263 0.73% Liberty Union Peter Diamondstone 1,298 0.42% Write-in 205 0.07% Total votes 309,285 100.00%
2004 United States Senate election in Vermont Party Candidate Votes % Democratic Patrick Leahy (incumbent)216,972 70.63% Republican Jack McMullen 75,398 24.54% Marijuana Cris Ericson 6,486 2.11% Green Craig Hill 3,999 1.30% Libertarian Keith Stern 3,300 1.07% Liberty Union Ben Mitchell 879 0.29% Write-in 174 0.06% Total votes 307,208 100.00%
2006 United States Senate election in Vermont Primary election Party Candidate Votes % Republican Richard Tarrant 22,008 61.84% Republican Greg Parke 10,479 29.44% Republican Cris Ericson 1,722 4.84% Write-in 1,382 3.88% Total votes 35,591 100.00% General election Independent Bernie Sanders 171,638 65.41% Republican Richard Tarrant 84,924 32.36% Independent Cris Ericson 1,735 0.66% Green Craig Hill 1,536 0.59% Anti-Bushist Candidate Peter Moss 1,518 0.58% Liberty Union Peter Diamondstone 801 0.31% Write-in 267 0.10% Total votes 262,419 100.00%
2008 Vermont gubernatorial election Party Candidate Votes % Republican Jim Douglas (incumbent)170,492 53.43% Independent Anthony Pollina 69,791 21.87% Democratic Gaye Symington 69,534 21.79% Cheap Renewable Energy Tony O'Connor 3,106 0.97% Independent Sam Young 2,490 0.78% Liberty Union Peter Diamondstone 1,710 0.54% Independent Cris Ericson 1,704 0.53% Write-in 258 0.08% Total votes 319,085 100.00%
2008 United States House of Representatives election in Vermont Party Candidate Votes % Democratic Peter Welch (incumbent)248,203 83.25% Independent Mike Bethel 14,349 4.81% Energy Independence Jerry Trudell 10,818 3.63% Progressive Thomas James Hermann 9,081 3.05% Independent Cris Ericson 7,841 2.63% Liberty Union Jane Newton 5,307 1.78% Write-in 2,552 0.86% Total votes 298,151 100.00%
2010 United States Senate election in Vermont Party Candidate Votes % Democratic Patrick Leahy (incumbent)151,281 64.98% Republican Len Britton 72,699 31.23% Independent Daniel Freilich 3,544 1.52% Marijuana Cris Ericson 2,731 1.17% Independent Stephen J. Cain 2,356 1.01% Liberty Union Peter Diamondstone 1,433 0.62% Independent Johenry Nunes 1,021 0.44% Write-in 113 0.05% Total votes 232,822 100.00% Blanks 8,608
2010 Vermont gubernatorial election Party Candidate Votes % Democratic Peter Shumlin 119,543 49.48% Republican Brian E. Dubie 115,212 47.69% Independent Dennis Steele 1,917 0.79% Marijuana Cris Ericson 1,819 0.75% Independent Dan Feliciano 1,341 0.56% Independent Emily Peyton 684 0.28% Liberty Union Ben Mitchell 429 0.18% Write-in 660 0.27% Total votes 241,605 100.00% Blanks 2,170
2012 United States Senate election in Vermont Party Candidate Votes % Independent Bernie Sanders (incumbent)209,053 71.04% Republican John MacGovern 73,198 24.87% Marijuana Cris Ericson 5,924 2.01% Liberty Union Peter Diamondstone 2,511 0.85% Peace and Prosperity Peter Moss 2,452 0.83% VoteKISS Laurel LaFramboise 877 0.30% Write-in 252 0.09% Total votes 294,267 100.00% Blanks 6,513
2012 Vermont gubernatorial election Party Candidate Votes % Democratic Peter Shumlin 170,749 57.80% Republican Randy Brock 110,940 37.55% Independent Emily Peyton 5,868 1.99% Marijuana Cris Ericson 5,583 1.89% Liberty Union Dave Eagle 1,303 0.44% Write-in 969 0.33% Total votes 295,412 100.00% Blanks 8,107
2014 Vermont gubernatorial election Party Candidate Votes % Democratic Peter Shumlin (incumbent)89,509 46.36% Republican Scott Milne 87,075 45.10% Libertarian Dan Feliciano 8,428 4.37% Independent Em Peyton 3,157 1.64% Liberty Union Peter Diamondstone 1,673 0.87% Independent Bernard Peters 1,434 0.74% Independent Cris Ericson 1,089 0.56% Write-in 722 0.37% Total votes 193,087 100.00% Blanks 2,984
2014 United States House of Representatives election in Vermont Party Candidate Votes % Democratic Peter Welch (incumbent)123,349 64.41% Republican Mark Donka 59,432 31.03% Independent Cris Ericson 2,750 1.44% Liberty Union Matthew Andrews 2,071 1.08% Energy Independence Jerry Trudell 2,024 1.06% Independent Randall Meyer 1,685 0.88% Write-in 193 0.10% Total votes 191,504 100.00% Blanks 4,221
2016 United States Senate election in Vermont Primary election Party Candidate Votes % Democratic Patrick Leahy (incumbent)62,249 88.59% Democratic Cris Ericson 7,596 10.81% Write-in 424 0.60% Total votes 70,269 100.00% Blanks/Spoiled 2,893 General election Democratic Patrick Leahy (incumbent)192,243 61.26% Republican Scott Milne 103,637 33.03% Marijuana Cris Ericson 9,156 2.92% Independent Jerry Trudell 5,223 1.66% Liberty Union Peter Diamondstone 3,241 1.03% Write-in 309 0.10% Total votes 313,809 100.00% Blanks/Spoiled 6,658
2016 Vermont gubernatorial Democratic primary Party Candidate Votes % Democratic Sue Minter 36,046 50.35% Democratic Matt Dunne 26,706 37.30% Democratic Peter Galbraith 6,611 9.23% Democratic Cris Ericson 537 0.75% Democratic H. Brooke Paige 361 0.50% Write-in 1,328 1.86% Total votes 71,589 100.00% Blanks/Spoiled 1,573
2018 Vermont gubernatorial election Party Candidate Votes % Republican Phil Scott (incumbent)151,261 55.19% Democratic Christine Hallquist 110,335 40.26% Independent Trevor Barlow 3,266 1.19% Independent Charles E. Laramie 2,287 0.83% Independent Cris Ericson 2,129 0.78% Earth Rights Stephen Marx 1,855 0.68% Liberty Union Emily Peyton 1,839 0.67% Write-in 1,115 0.41% Total votes 274,087 100.00% Blanks/Spoiled 4,143
2018 United States House of Representatives election in Vermont Party Candidate Votes % Democratic Peter Welch (incumbent)188,547 69.20% Republican Anya Tynio 70,705 25.95% Independent Cris Ericson 9,110 3.34% Liberty Union Laura S. Potter 3,924 1.44% Write-in 165 0.06% Total votes 272,451 100.00% Blanks/Spoiled 5,779
2020 Vermont Attorney General election Primary election Party Candidate Votes % Progressive Cris Ericson 414 58.06% Write-in 299 42.94% Total votes 713 100.00% Blanks/Spoiled 228 General election Democratic T.J. Donovan (incumbent)234,081 67.75% Republican H. Brooke Paige 94,892 27.46% Progressive Cris Ericson 15,846 4.59% Write-in 711 0.21% Total votes 345,530 100.00% Blanks/Spoiled 25,453
2020 Vermont State Treasurer election Primary election Party Candidate Votes % Progressive Cris Ericson 411 58.05% Progressive Beth Pearce (incumbent) (write-in)99 13.98% Write-in 198 27.97% Total votes 708 100.00% Blanks/Spoiled 233 General election Democratic Beth Pearce (incumbent)197,255 57.37% Republican Carolyn Whitney Branagan 114,177 33.36% Independent Alex Wright 17,939 5.22% Progressive Cris Ericson 14,142 4.11% Write-in 341 0.10% Total votes 343,854 100.00% Blanks/Spoiled 27,123
2020 Vermont Secretary of State election Primary election Party Candidate Votes % Progressive Cris Ericson 406 57.26% Progressive Jim Condos (incumbent) (write-in)106 14.95% Write-in 197 27.79% Total votes 709 100.00% Blanks/Spoiled 232 General election Democratic Jim Condos (incumbent)214,666 61.88% Republican H. Brooke Paige 99,564 28.70% Independent Pamala Smith 21,210 6.11% Progressive Cris Ericson 11,171 3.22% Write-in 309 0.09% Total votes 346,920 100.00% Blanks/Spoiled 24,048
2020 Vermont Lieutenant Governor election Primary election Party Candidate Votes % Progressive Cris Ericson 438 57.48% Progressive David Zuckerman (incumbent) (write-in)7 0.92% Write-in 317 41.60% Total votes 762 100.00% Blanks/Spoiled 179 General election Democratic Molly Gray 182,820 51.32% Republican Scott Milne 157,065 44.09% Progressive Cris Ericson 7,862 2.21% Independent Wayne Billado, III 5,101 1.43% Banish The F35s Ralph Corbo 2,289 0.64% Independent David Zuckerman (incumbent) (write-in)83 0.02% Write-in 1,014 0.28% Total votes 356,234 100.00% Blanks/Spoiled 14,734
2020 Vermont State Auditor election Primary election Party Candidate Votes % Progressive Cris Ericson 410 56.40% Write-in 314 43.60% Total votes 727 100.00% Blanks/Spoiled 217 General election Democratic Doug Hoffer (incumbent)266,445 84.04% Progressive Cris Ericson 48,731 15.37% Write-in 1,880 0.59% Total votes 317,056 100.00% Blanks/Spoiled 53,926
2020 United States House of Representatives Progressive primary Party Candidate Votes % Progressive Chris Brimmer 469 58.04% Progressive Cris Ericson 236 29.21% Progressive Peter Welch (incumbent) (write-in)75 9.28% Write-in 28 3.47% Total votes 808 100.00% Blanks/Spoiled 133
2020 Vermont gubernatorial Progressive primary Party Candidate Votes % Progressive David Zuckerman (write-in)273 32.62% Progressive Cris Ericson 254 30.35% Progressive Boots Wardinski 239 28.55% Write-in 71 8.48% Total votes 837 100.00% Blanks/Spoiled 104
2022 United States Senate election in Vermont Party Candidate Votes % Democratic Peter Welch 196,575 68.47% Republican Gerald Malloy 80,468 28.03% Independent Dawn Marie Ellis 2,752 0.96% Green Mountain Natasha Diamondstone-Kohout 1,574 0.55% Independent Kerry Patrick Raheb 1,532 0.53% Independent Mark Coester 1,273 0.44% Independent Stephen Duke 1,209 0.42% Independent Cris Ericson 1,105 0.38% Write-in 612 0.21% Total votes 287,099 100.00% Blank/Spoiled 4,855
Notes External links Party political offices Preceded byDavid Zuckerman Progressive nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Vermont Succeeded byDavid Zuckerman