the general election, defeating him 72%-27%. Vermont Incumbent Democrat Patrick Leahy won re-election to a third term over Republican former Governor of Vermont Richard A. Snelling and Liberty Unionist sociologist and perennial candidate Jerry Levy. The race was initially expected to be competitive, with Ronald Reagan encouraging Snelling to run. Both Leahy and Snelling were well-respected and highly popular in Vermont, and the general feeling was that they would both make good senators. However, Snelling was felt to be at a disadvantage for several reasons, including the fact that his main campaign plank was deficit reduction, which The Caledonian-Record noted Leahy was already a well-known advocate for, and the fact that Leahy had acquired a reputation as one of the Senate's most knowledgable figures on the issue of nuclear proliferation, an issue which the Brattleboro Reformer noted that Snelling had no experience with. Nonetheless, Leahy defeated Snelling in a 63%-35% landslide. Leahy would face one more tough re-election challenge in 1992 against Republican Jim Douglas, handily winning each term thereafter. Washington Incumbent Republican Slade Gorton and Brock Adams, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, finished top two in the open primary. Adams narrowly defeated Gorton by just under 2%. Gorton would win an election to Washington's other senate seat in 1988, serving for two terms. Wisconsin Incumbent Republican Bob Kasten ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Ed Garvey, former Deputy Attorney General of Wisconsin and Executive Director of the NFLPA, defeated Matt Flynn in the Democratic primary. Kasten defeated Garvey in the general election by just over 3%. See also 1986 United States elections 1986 United States gubernatorial elections 1986 United States House of Representatives elections 99th United States Congress 100th United States Congress References External links