An Open Seat in Vermont... Could be a tough race.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

It's true that Sanders won't have the organization strength of the DNC behind him like an actual Democrat would.  But this isn't going to matter.  It probably hurt him when he was first running for Congress, but at this point, already having run statewide eight times in a tiny state, Sanders has all the organization he needs.  Every voter in Vermont knows Bernie and probably knows whether or not they will vote for him.  Next to him, Douglas is an unknown lightweight.

Sanders is not universally liked, and Douglas would give him a close race.  But this race will be about Sanders, and it is his to lose.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

One question for anybody more familiar with Vermont.  Do the Democrats have anybody on the ballot against Sanders?  I know they don't fund anybody which is everything, but I was just curious if some no-name Democrat ends up on the ballot against him.

Sometimes there is a Democrat running on the ballot against Sanders, sometimes there is not.  Someone ran in 2004 and got 7% of the vote against him, but no one ran in 2002 AFAIK.  I would guess that the Democrats would strongly urge no one to run if its Sanders v. Douglas for Senate.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

I can't imagine why any serious Democrat would run in this race.   They would be a national embarrasment...when was the last time a major party nominee got single digit support in  a Senate race?....at least Jack E. Robinson got 13%.

That said, I'm almost certain Sanders would never run as a Democrat.