Esther Charlestin, the former Democratic nominee for governor of Vermont, launched a bid for the state’s second-highest office on Wednesday. Charlestin is the third Democrat to join this year’s race for lieutenant governor. Charlestin challenged Republican Gov. She was the first Black woman to win a major party nomination for Vermont governor, and only the second Black woman to ever get a major party backing for governor in the country. Neither of the two Democrats who challenged Scott before Charlestin garnered more than 30% of the general election vote, either.