Vermont House members hope to clinch Senate seats in open races

In an election year in which five of Vermont’s 30 state senators have opted to leave their seats, several members of the Vermont House are seeking to make the jump to the Senate.

In a chamber that historically values seniority and has only in recent years begun to see significant turnover, a handful of open races present an opportunity for new blood next biennium. With that turnover, too, comes the loss of cumulative decades of institutional knowledge.

A least four current state representatives are seeking an open Senate seat, and another is challenging his district’s incumbents, according to the list of qualified candidates provided by the Secretary of State’s Office on Friday afternoon.  

Major party candidates for this year’s elections were required to submit their petitions by Thursday afternoon in order to qualify for the August primary ballot. However, the list is not yet complete, as additional candidates may continue to be added as qualified over the coming days.

This year, Bennington, Caledonia, Grand Isle, Orleans and Windsor Counties will all see open Senate races as a result of the departures of Sen. Brian Campion, D-Bennington; Sen. Jane Kitchel, D-Caledonia; Sen. Bobby Starr, D-Orleans; Sen. Dick McCormack, D-Windsor; and Sen. Dick Mazza, D-Grand Isle. Mazza resigned in April due to health challenges and died last week. 

Hoping to fill those seats are Rep. Seth Bongartz, D-Manchester, in Bennington County; Rep. Scott Beck, R-St. Johnsbury, in Caledonia County; Rep. Patrick Brennan, R-Colchester, in Grand Isle County; and Rep. Katherine Sims, D-Craftsbury, in Orleans County.

Their ascensions to the Senate are hardly guaranteed. According to the Secretary of State’s Office and local elections officials, all four House members will at least face a general election opponent. Some will first see primary competitions in August.

In Bennington County’s two member Senate district, Bongartz will presumably appear on the ballot beside incumbent Sen. Dick Sears, D-Bennington. The two Democrats will also be up against Arlington Republican Joe Gervais.

Before appearing on the November general election ballot for Caledonia County’s single Senate seat, Beck will first have to win the Republican primary. In August, he will compete against repeat candidate JT Dodge of Newbury for the GOP nomination.

Whichever Republican prevails will face off against the Democratic nominee, in hopes of flipping a district long held by Kitchel. The two Democratic nominees in the race are Shawn Hallisey of Waterford and Amanda Cochrane of St. Johnsbury. Cochrane has Kitchel’s support.

Brennan is the only Republican candidate who, as of Friday afternoon, is listed as a qualified candidate for Grand Isle County’s Senate seat. He, too, is hoping to flip a seat held for close to four decades by Mazza, a moderate Democrat.

Brennan will presumably face off against one of two Democrats for the seat come November: either Julie Hulburd, of Colchester, or Andy Julow, whom Republican Gov. Phil Scott appointed to the seat earlier this month following Mazza’s resignation.

In Orleans County, current House member and Senate hopeful Sims also does not appear to be facing a primary challenger in her race to replace Starr, a Democrat. Competing for the Republican nomination for that seat this August are Conrad Bellavance of Newport and Samuel Douglass of Troy.

Of all of the open Senate races, though, it appears the most competitive does not have any current House members running: The three-member Windsor County Senate district has at least nine candidates competing.

Two are incumbents: Sen. Alison Clarkson, D-Windsor, and Sen. Becca White, D-Windsor. McCormack’s seat is open, however, and there’s a long line for the spot.

Four Republicans are jockeying for three GOP nominations: Jonathan Gleason of Ludlow, Andrea Murray of Weathersfield, Robert Ruhlin of Cavendish and Jack Williams of Weathersfield.

And appearing on the Democratic primary ballot alongside Clarkson and White will be Joe Major of Hartford, Marc Nemeth of Royalton and Justin Tuthill of Pomfret.

There is at least one more House member hoping to make the jump to the Senate. Rep. Caleb Elder, D-Starksboro, filed a petition to run for one of Addison County’s two Senate seats. With his candidacy, Elder challenges the district’s two incumbents, Sen. Chris Bray, D-Addison, and Sen. Ruth Hardy, D-Addison, both of whom are running for reelection.

Incumbent senators in other districts, too, are facing challengers. Veteran broadcast journalist Stewart Ledbetter, for instance, has launched a Democratic bid to be one of three senators in the Chittenden Central district. His candidacy launches a primary contest against three incumbents: President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth, D/P-Chittenden Central, Sen. Martine Gulick, D-Chittenden Central, and Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky, P/D-Chittenden Central. 

A chamber where seniority is key, the Senate often rewards its longtime members with influential positions as committee chairs. From those posts, senators take a leading role in crafting bills and setting legislative priorities. All five of this year’s departing senators are committee chairs.

As local clerks continue submitting candidate petitions to the Secretary of State’s Office over the coming days, the state’s elections division will update a full listing of qualified candidates.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Vermont House members hope to clinch Senate seats in open races.