BY ANGELO LYNN
As nearly 170,000 Vermont voters cast their ballots ahead of Election Day, Vermonters were on track to set record mail-in turnout for a mid-term election with statewide interest high in many races. Vermonters also were on track to approve a slate of Democratic candidates in the state’s top offices and keep a House and Senate dominated by Democratic and Progressive candidates.
Republican Gov. Phil Scott is the lone exception at the top of his party’s ticket as it appears he will easily beat Democratic challenger Brenda Siegel. Early results at 9 p.m., with 27% of the votes in, were showing him ahead of Siegel with 73% of the votes cast to 22% for Siegel. In the 2020 general election Scott beat then Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman 68% to 27%.
Other sure winners at this early hour will be State House representatives from the immediate area: Republican Rep. Butch Shaw, who is running unopposed for a newly redrawn seat covering Pittsford and Proctor, called Rutland-8, and Democrat Rep. Stephanie Jerome, running to represent Brandon in the new Rutland-9 district.
The six-seat race for Rutland County Senate and several close House races in Rutland County, however, are too close to call at this early hour but will be key to whether Democrats can create a veto-proof majority in both houses of the Legislature.
Early turnout appears to be strong. According to data from the Secretary of State’s Office, town and city clerks had already received 168,568 ballots by Monday afternoon. That’s more than half of the total votes cast during the last midterm election in 2018, when turnout reached 278,230. That year, just 72,222 Vermonters voted using early or absentee ballots — about 26% of the total vote.
Early voting spiked in 2020 after lawmakers instituted a temporary, universal mail-in voting system to preserve ballot access at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. That year, which also included a presidential election, 280,455 Vermonters voted using early or absentee ballots — about 76% of the total 370,968 votes cast.
Early returns as of 9 p.m. Tuesday night, with about 25% of the town results in, showed what will be almost certain victories for the following statewide candidates:
SCOTT LEADS SIEGEL
• In statewide offices, Gov. Phil Scott had a 51-point lead over Siegel with 27% of the votes counted, 73%-22%, but which did not include the more liberal and populous towns like Burlington, South Burlington, Winooski or Shelburne. Scott is running for a fourth term as Vermont governor.
Siegel, who stepped into the race after no other Democrats moved to challenge Scott, has used a tenacious campaign to criticize the governor, raising issues with his vetoes of climate and opioid legislation and arguing that he has failed to live up to his promise to make the state more affordable. Also on the ballot were Peter Duval, Kevin Hoyt and Bernard Peters.
LT. GOV. RACE
• Former Lt. Governor David Zuckerman will have a tougher time to retake the open Lt. Gov. seat, though in pre-election polls he was favored by up to 20 points against Republican Sen. Joe Benning, who has served in the Senate since 2010. As of 9 p.m., however, Benning was just 7% points behind Zuckerman, 53%-45% with 27% of the votes cast, suggesting it will be a closer race that some polls predicted. Also on the ballot is Ian G. Diamondstone.
WELCH, BALINT
• For U.S. Senate, former Vt. Congressman Peter Welch will post an easy win over Republican Gerald Malloy, an avid pro-Trumper who moved to Vermont from Massachusetts just two years ago (in 2020.) Welch held a 37-point lead as of 9 p.m., 67%-30%. He was called the victor in that race by the Associated Press shortly after the polls closed. Also on the ballot were Mark Coester, Natasha Diamondstone-Kohout, Stephen Duke, Dawn Marie Ellis, Cris Ericson and Kerry Patrick Raheb.
• For Vermont’s lone congressional seat, former Senate Pro Temp Becca Balint will take the seat vacated by Congressman Welch over her Republican challenger Liam Madden, who is a self-proclaimed Independent. Balint had grabbed an early 32-point lead as of 9 p.m., 62%-29%. Also on the ballot were Libertarian Ericka Redic, one of Madden’s primary rivals, plus Matt Druzba, Adam Ortiz and Luke Talbot.
STATEWIDE OFFICES
• In statewide races for Attorney General, Auditor of Accounts, Secretary of State and State Treasurer, for Democrats were poised to easily capture those positions with substantial leads over their challengers:
• Democrat Sarah Copeland Hanzas held a 26-point lead over Republican challenger H. Brooke Paige, 63%-37%.
• Charity Clark held a 28-point lead over Republican Michael Tagliavia, 64%-36%.
• Democrat Mike Pieciak also held a 28-point lead over perennial Republican challenger H. Brooke Paige, 64%-36%.
• Democrat/Progressive Doug Hoffer also led Republican Richard Morton by 28-points, 64%-36%.
BALLOT MEASURES APPROVED
Vermont voters overwhelmingly approved two proposed amendments to the state constitution. Each proposal had been passed by the Vermont House and Senate twice, over two consecutive two-year sessions. Because a majority of voters decides in favor of the proposals, both will become part of the Vermont Constitution.
Proposal 2
Voters approved Article 1, Proposal 2, which clarified Vermont’s prohibition on slavery and indentured servitude. As of 9 p.m., Vermonters were supporting the proposal, 89% to 11%.
Proposal 5
Also known as Article 22, this amendment would enshrine “personal reproductive autonomy” — including the right to choose or refuse abortion, contraception or sterilization — in the state constitution. The proposal has drawn significant attention since the U.S. Supreme Court in June overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating the federal right to abortion and returning authority over the issue to states. Vermont is one of three states, including California and Michigan, that are voting this Election Day on constitutional amendments that would make explicit the right to abortion. As polls closed, Vermonters were favoring the amendment, 77% to 23%.
LEGISLATIVE MAJORITY?
While Democrats are expected to retain solid majorities in both chambers of the Legislature, the outcome of Tuesday’s local races could shape the party’s ability to pass priority legislation in the next biennium. Democrats are seeking at least a two-thirds majority in each chamber in order to override gubernatorial vetoes, should Republican Gov. Phil Scott win another term. Democrats currently hold 93 seats in the 150-seat House, Republicans hold 46, Progressives and Independents each claim 5, with one current vacancy.
Among the competitive seats in the Senate were the six seats in Rutland County where three Democrats — Anna Tadio, Bridgette Remington and Joshua Ferguson — are going head-to-head with three Republicans — incumbent Brian Collamore, David Weeks and Terry Williams. In this race, two of the three incumbent senators are not seeking reelection. Only incumbent Collamore is running for an additional term.
In House races, Rutland County also has three that are competitive:
Rutland-2, a four-way race for two seats, in which former public school teacher and legislator Dave Potter is hoping to win back his district from conservative Rep. Art Peterson, R-Clarendon. Incumbent Tom Burditt, R-West Rutland, and Democrat Ken Fredette are also competing.
Rutland-3, where Republican candidate Jerrod Sammis’ online past has drawn criticism from Democrats. Sammis is competing with Democrat Mary Droege, a faculty member at Castleton University, to represent the newly redrawn district.
Rutland-Bennington, where incumbent Republican Sally Achey faces Democrat Robin Chesnut-Tangerman, a former progressive who she ousted in 2020.
Note: Vt.Digger contributed to this report.
