[R]epublican William Doyle’s more than 40-year state Senate career will come to an end after his narrow loss Tuesday to Democrat Francis Brooks, a former House member and Statehouse sergeant-at-arms.
According to unofficial figures from the secretary of state’s office, Brooks edged Doyle by 187 votes in Washington County. Sens. Ann Cummings, a Democrat, and Anthony Pollina, a Progressive/Democrat, finished one-two in the three-seat county district.
In the lone open House race in Washington County, Democrat Kimberly Jessup, of Middlesex, easily defeated Republican Dexter Lefavour, Progressive Carl Etnier and independent Matt Swenson. That seat in the Washington-5 District represents East Montpelier and Middlesex.
Jessup has worked for the Association of Vermont Independent Colleges since 2009 and was also a congressional aide to the U.S. House Banking Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Incumbents prevailed in the county’s remaining House races.
Republicans Anne Donahue and Patti Lewis won by comfortable margins in Washington-1, which includes Berlin and Northfield.
In Montpelier’s Washington-4 District, Democrats Mary Hooper and Warren Kitzmiller won by wide margins over Progressives Ben Eastwood and Glennie F. Sewell.
Democrat Tommy Walz and independent Paul Poirier, representing Barre, also kept their seats.
In Washington-6, Democrat Janet Ancel defeated For Your Town candidate Bram Towbin by more than 16 percentage points. Washington-6 includes Calais, Marshfield and Plainfield.
