Preliminary numbers show that the Vermont Democrats added two representatives this election cycle. If things pan out, the state’s dominant party will control 96 of the state’s 150 House seats.
This year, the Republicans had nine candidates vacate House seats to run for Senate or retire. Of those nine seats, Minority Leader Don Turner, R-Milton, said it looks like the Grand Old Party will hold onto seven. The Republicans will also lose some of the 48 House seats they held previously.
“We have confirmed 42 seats, and we’re still waiting for three districts,” said Turner on Wednesday afternoon.
While the Republicans lick their wounds after Tuesday’s losses, they did clinch crucial seats. State numbers show that they grabbed two of the three Rutland City seats previously controlled by Dems.
Republican Larry “Cooper” Cupoli ousted incumbent Dem Margaret “Peg” Andrews by more than 100 votes, and Republican Douglas Gage beat Democrat Sherri Durgin 941-690 for the seat vacated by Democrat Gale Coucelle. Incumbent Democrat Herb Russell, however, beat Republican challenger John Mattison by almost 400 votes.
The Republicans picked up another big victory in the Windsor-Rutland races, where two incumbents were forced to square off due to redistricting. Dennis Devereux, R-Belmont, beat Eldred French, D-Cuttingsville, by more than 200 votes to win the Windsor-Rutland district’s one and only seat.
House Speaker Shap Smith, D-Morrisville, said the loss of Andrews and French hurts.
“It’s always disappointing to lose people you serve with, so the loss of Peg Andrews and Eldred French is really crushing because they’re good people and good colleagues,” he said. “It’s hard to lose them.”
Incumbents Harvey Smith, R-New Haven, and Mark Higley, R-Lowell, look like they’ll hold onto their seats. Ed McGuire, D-New Haven, who challenged Smith, said he lost the Addison County race 968-1133. Higley, on the other hand, won the Orleans-Lamoille district by a slimmer margin of 920-887 over Progressive/Democrat Katherine Sims. That preliminary figure comes from the state, and Progressive Rep. Chris Pearson of Burlington said the Progs might call for a recount if it stands.
Associated Press numbers show that the Republicans edged out a Progressive in the Franklin area: Bob Irish. Republican incumbent Rep. Albert “Chuck” Pearce and party mate Steve Beyor won the two-person district. Beyor picked up the seat previously held by Norm McAllister, who won a Senate seat for the GOP.
This year’s election wasn’t all bad news for the Progressives, as they are poised keep their numbers level in the House with five seats. The Progressives gained a seat in the Enosburg and Montgomery district, where Prog Cindy Weed beat out Republican incumbent Rep. Peter Perley by more than 100 votes.
Meanwhile, the Democrats extended their already commanding lead.
In St. Albans, Democrat Mike McCarthy picked up the seat vacated by Republican Rep. Dustin Degree, who ran for Senate and lost. Democratic incumbent Kathleen Keenan will hold onto her seat as the top vote-getter in that two-seat district.
The Dems also got another seat in St. Johnsbury, where Michelle Fay ousted Republican incumbent Gary Reis. Fay joins Democratic incumbent Bob South, who won the most votes in that two-seat district.
House Speaker Smith is especially glad that the Democrats took back the Mendon seat they lost in 2010, when Republican challenger Jim Eckhardt beat Democratic incumbent Megan Smith. This year, Democrat Anne Gallivan beat Eckhardt by fewer than 50 votes.
Longtime Rep. Bill Aswad, D-Burlington, who turned 90 this year, lost to fellow Dem Joanna Cole. Incumbent Kurt Wright, R-Burlington, received the most votes in that two-person district.
Moving north to Burlington’s Old North End, the Dems successfully fended off a Prog offensive, as Democrat/Working Families candidates Curt McCormack and incumbent Jill Krowinski edged out Progressives Gene Bergman and Kit Andrews.
In the Windsor-Orange district, Sarah Buxton, D-Tunbridge, beat David Ainsworth, R-South Royalton, decisively by almost 200 votes. In 2010, Buxton beat Ainsworth, then a two-term incumbent, by one vote.
Smith said this year’s elections indicate that Vermonters are happy with the work Democrats are doing in the House.
“I think people realized that we have had steady hands as we’ve gone through a very difficult economic time and a difficult natural disaster,” he said. “People seem to be comfortable with their individual representatives.”
