Washington (CNN) Vermont's Democratic nominee for governor Christine Hallquist, who made history Tuesday as the first transgender gubernatorial nominee for a major political party, said she's running to raise the issue of rural economic development in her home state.

"If you look at what's happening in rural Vermont, it is the same thing that's happening in rural America. We're seeing increasing rates of poverty, flights to the city, an aging demographic and we can change that," Hallquist told CNN's John Berman during an interview on "New Day" Wednesday.

She added, "It is about economic growth for the bottom 20% on the economic ladder."

Hallquist supports "Medicare for all" and raising the minimum wage. Her candidacy was backed by the Justice Democrats, the same group that helped launch progressive candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's campaign in New York.

But she has declined embracing any labels of being a socialist.

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