The campaign was dominated by the fallout from the passage of a civil union bill and the subsequent backlash encapsulated by the slogan Take Back Vermont.

Ruth Dwyer, the Republican nominee in 1998, ran again in 2000 and was closely tied to the Take Back Vermont movement.

Howard Dean, the Democratic governor, favored civil unions and was a primary target of Take Back Vermont.

[1] The Vermont Progressive Party unanimously selected to give its nomination to Anthony Pollina on February 13, 2000.

[4] Progressive Anthony Pollina's candidacy nearly succeeded in holding Dean to less than 50 percent, which would have required the Vermont General Assembly to choose a winner.