Peter Welch

With just hours until Election Day, gubernatorial candidates have kicked campaigning into high gear.

For the next 48 hours, the top-three gubernatorial candidates will be working almost nonstop to gain the support of every last voter around the state.

Vermont's at-large Democratic U.S. Rep. Peter Welch Thursday wrote a letter to the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service demanding answers to a Wall Street Journal report revealing that some companies used employee pension plans to provide supplemental executive benefits.

Welch asked in his letter that Secretary of Treasury Henry Paulson and IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman respond to his questions by no later than Friday, August 22, so that he "will have the information necessary to prepare a legislative response to this issue."

Denise Barnard's state Senate campaign got an assist from outgoing state Sen. Jim Condos and Joshua Handverger can probably call the week a draw since he appears on both sides of this week's Winners & Losers column. Find out who else made the list and why. | CLICK HERE

The man who calls himself the "only candidate for federal office whose campaign exposes visual evidence disproving the official conspiracy theory of 9/11" is challenging U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-Windsor) in the Democratic primary for the state's At-Large Congressional District seat.

And if history is any indication, Welch can expect to face Montpelier resident Craig Hill again in the general election even after defeating him in the primary.

Hill ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in 2004 and lost to U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Middlesex) who received 94.3 percent of the vote. After losing the primary, Hill then challenged Leahy as a Green party candidate in the general election and finished fourth with 1.3 percent.

In 2006, he again ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate and drew just 1.3 percent against then-U.S. Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-Burlington), who received over 94 percent as a write-in candidate. Hill then ran as a Green in the general election and drew just 0.5 percent of the vote, finishing fourth.

Vermont's lone Congressman, U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vermont) reported raising $170,773 in the second quarter of 2008, according to his Federal Elections Commission filing. He reported expenses of $60,0671 over the same period, leaving the incumbent with $930,667 cash on hand, up from $828,711 last quarter. As of yet, he faces no announced opponent in his bid for a second term.

ENOSBURG FALLS, Vt. - While boasting a population of a little under 3,000 people most of days of the year, this town just six miles south of the Canadian border can attract more than 15,000 visitors during its annual Dairy Days festival. And amid the parade, cow-milking contest, food and carnival rides, the festival plays host to aspiring lawmakers taking part in an opening round of politicking.

With no major party opponent in sight it seems as though Rep. Peter Welch has punched his ticket to a second term in Congress, but Republican Gov. Jim Douglas says he still wants to see a fight.

"Democracy works best when there is a choice, when there is an option for voters. It's a chance to examine positions of candidates," Douglas said at a press conference yesterday.