By Guy Page
If filmmaker Woody Allen was right in 1989 when he said “80% of success is showing up,” then the Vermont Republican Party has taken a first successful step to improving on the six seats it now holds in the 30-seat Vermont Senate.
Thanks to some fast, last-minute footwork by GOP candidates and officials, there’s a Republican running for every seat in the Senate but one. Just two GOP candidates, Michael Jasinski and Jack Williams, are running in three-seat Windsor County. But even in deep-blue Windsor a former GOP gubernatorial candidate (Keith Stern, Springfield) is running as an independent.
Meg Hansen
2020 marks the largest GOP turnout of Senate candidates for a general election in recent memory. For information on all Vermont Senate candidates, including candidate hometowns and contact information, click here.
Notably, for the first time in recent memory Chittenden County has six candidates running for the metropolitan county’s six Senate seat. They are Susan Bowen of Shelburne, Tom Chastenay of Milton, Kylie Hollingsworth of Milton, Kumulia “Kase” Long of Milton, Ericka Redic of Burlington, and Dean Rolland of Hinesburg.
In Bennington County, Meg Hansen of Manchester was able to throw her hat into the Senate ring after finishing second to Scott Milne of Barre in the August 11 primary race for lieutenant governor. State election law granting more flexibility due to the pandemic enabled a candidate defeated in a primary to have his/her name on the general election ballot for another race. And while enough voters wrote-in Campion’s name as the Republican candidate, he withdrew his name as the GOP nominee at the last minute. That left two open slots, making room for Hansen and Mike Hall to have their names added.
Jonathan Morin
In Essex-Orleans, Russ Ingalls of Newport City and army veteran Jonathan Morin of Holland are seeking election against former D/R John Rodgers – he’s running as an independent after missing the filing deadline – and former D/R Bobby Starr, now running solely as a Democrat.
Incumbents Randy Brock and Corey Parent are running again in GOP stronghold Franklin County. In Caledonia, longtime incumbent Joe Benning will be joined on the Nov. 3 ballot by Charles Wilson of Lyndonville, a farmer and retired businessman.
Rutland County will try to regain its GOP sweep with incumbent Brian Collamore, Terry Williams, and Josh Terenzini. Bill Huff will again challenge incumbent Sen. Mark MacDonald in Orange County.
In Addison County, dairy farmer Peter Briggs will try again to unseat incumbents Chris Bray and Ruth Hardy. He’ll be joined by retiree Jon Christiano, former county chair of the party. Two bi-party incumbents will go unchallenged: Dick Mazza of Grand Isle (listed as a D first, R second) and Rich Westman of Lamoille (R first, D second).
Dawn-Marie Tomasi, Ken Alger and Dwayne Tucker won a GOP primary in three-seat Washington County. In Windham County, John Lyddy of Whitingham and Marcus Parish of Rockingham will try to unseat incumbents Becca Balint and Jeanette White.
Some of these candidates face long odds against established incumbents in deep blue counties. But at least they have showed up. What happens next is up to the voters.
Read more of Guy Page’s reports. Vermont Daily is sponsored by True North Media.
It’s time Vermonters realize that single party rule equals single minded approaches to political issues. If Vermont continues to vote against political diversity, then single party rule will continue to produce more and more extreme legislation. This happens regardless of what party if it rules unchecked.
This election ask yourself if you want more of the same from Montpelier, with extremes in legislation usually being the result or do you want to vote for balance. Do you want more government telling you what to do, like the kind of shopping bags you will use, what you are going to do with your food scrapes, what kind of car you will eventually be forced to purchase, how you will heat your home, or do you want a more sensible and moderate approach to how issues are solved? Vote wisely and for change this election.
Voters of Vermont, this is your chance. Let’s take it away from the democrats, what do we have to lose. If you don’t like what the Republicans do you can give it back to the dems in a couple of years. After what they have done to Vermont there is no way the Republicans can’t do much, much better. Give them a chance.
Go for it!!!! We need some clear thinkers in Montpelier. Currently, there are too many looney tunes running the state at the legislative level.
Thanks to all those who have made the hard choice and done the work to step up to serve VTers and make a difference for VT and GOP – we need your voices 😀
Special thanks to Keith Stern for continuing to seek public office and a voice for VTers in Windsor Cty and Meg Hansen for pivoting to the senate race.
Do these GOP candidates have all the answers, probabley not !!
But they surely can’t do any worst then the liberal and there nonsense
legislation we have today, thats running the state into the ground with
high taxes, hatred towards business ” except ” pro pot growers, .Liberal
Legislators cash cow they think…………. Idiots !!
Wake up people, give these candidates a chance to help bring the state
back to what we use to have ” Vermont “, not an offshoot of CA, NY and
what they offer….. pretty pathetic but Liberals are Liberals.
You have nothing to lose and maybe a lot to gain……………………….