Sen. Jane Kitchel, D-Caledonia, reads a copy of a bill before signing it in the House Chamber in Montpelier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger
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 of Representatives are looking 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 also comes the loss of accumulated decades of institutional knowledge.
At least four current state representatives are seeking an open Senate seat, and another is challenging incumbents in his district, 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 election were required to file their petitions by Thursday afternoon in order to qualify for the August primary. However, the list is not yet complete as additional qualified candidates may continue to be added in the coming days.
This year, Bennington, Caledonia, Grand Isle, Orleans and Windsor counties will 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 problems and died last week.
Sen. Brian Campion, D-Bennington, speaks on the House floor on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Photo by Natalie Williams/VTDigger
Hoping to fill those seats are Rep. Seth Bongartz, D-Manchester, in Bennington County; Rep. Scott Beck, R-St. Johnsbury, Caledonia County; Rep. Patrick Brennan, R-Colchester, in Grand Isle County; and Rep. Katherine Sims, D-Craftsbury, in Orleans County.
His rise to the Senate is hardly guaranteed. According to the Secretary of State’s Office and local election officials, all four House members will face at least one opponent in the general election. Some will see primary contests for the first time in August.
In Bennington County’s two-member Senate district, Bongartz will presumably appear on the ballot alongside incumbent Sen. Dick Sears, D-Bennington. The two Democrats will also face Arlington Republican Joe Gervais.
Before appearing in the November general election for Caledonia County’s sole Senate seat, Beck will first have to win the Republican primary. In August, he will compete against regular candidate JT Dodge of Newbury for the GOP nomination.
Whichever Republican prevails will face the Democratic candidate, hoping to flip a district long held by Kitchel. The two Democratic candidates in the race are Shawn Hallisey of Waterford and Amanda Cochrane of St. Johnsbury. Cochrane is supported by Kitchel.
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 also hopes to flip a seat that Mazza, a moderate Democrat, held for nearly four decades.
Brennan will presumably face one of two Democrats for the seat in November: 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, Sims, a current House member and Senate hopeful, also does not appear to face any primary challengers in his race to replace Starr, a Democrat. Competing for the Republican nomination for that seat in August are Conrad Bellavance of Newport and Samuel Douglass of Troy.
However, of all the open Senate races, 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 running.
Two are incumbents: Sen. Alison Clarkson, D-Windsor, and Sen. Becca White, D-Windsor. However, McCormack’s seat is open and there is a long line to fill that spot.
Four Republicans are vying 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.
Sen. Bobby Starr, D-Orleans, speaks on the Senate floor in the House of Representatives in Montpelier on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Photo by Natalie Williams/VTDigger
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, who are running for re-election.
Sitting senators in other districts also face challenges. Veteran broadcast journalist Stewart Ledbetter, for example, has launched a Democratic bid to be one of three senators from Chittenden’s central district. His candidacy begins a primary race against three incumbents: Speaker Pro Tempore Phil Baruth, D/P-Chittenden Central, Sen. Martine Gulick, D-Chittenden Central, and Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky, P/D-Chittenden Central.
The Senate, a chamber where seniority is key, often rewards its most senior members with influential positions such as committee chairs. From these positions, senators take a leadership role in crafting bills and establishing legislative priorities. All five of this year’s outgoing senators are committee chairmen.
As local clerks continue to submit candidate petitions to the Secretary of State’s Office over the next few days, the state’s elections division will update a full list of qualified candidates.
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