The Democrat who won Tuesday's gubernatorial primary in Vermont on Wednesday said she is proud to be the first transgender nominee of a major party for a governor's race.

Christine Hallquist told CNN that the "historical significance" of her victory was starting to “sink in.”

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"We were all working hard every day, and I didn't necessarily think about what it would look like to win," Hallquist said. "But it is starting to sink in, the historic significance."

"Vermont is a very loving and welcoming state," she added. "So it really necessarily hasn't been an issue for Vermonters."

Christine Hallquist reflects on her historic primary win, making her the first transgender gubernatorial nominee for a major party: "I'm definitely proud and honored to be making history for the nation" https://t.co/N8lT8m8LXD pic.twitter.com/Tf0sdOpjcM — CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) August 15, 2018

Hallquist won Tuesday's primary election by more than 20 points over her closest competitor and said she was "honored" to be her party's chosen nominee. She will face incumbent Gov. Phil Scott (R) in November, who successfully fought off a primary challenge Tuesday night.

"I'm definitely proud and honored to be making history for the nation," Hallquist told CNN, though she added that was not the reason she was running for office.

"Not at all. That doesn't necessarily even occur to me, or probably occur to Vermonters," she said. "The reason I'm in here is because of what happened in 2016 [with President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE's election]."

"In physics, we say for every reaction there's an opposite and opposing reaction," Hallquist said. "Well, I'm definitely a reaction to 2016."

Scott won his bid for governor in 2016 with just over 52 percent of the vote after previously serving as the state's lieutenant governor.