[B]URLINGTON – For the first time in nearly two decades there will be no Republican representing Chittenden County in the Vermont Senate.
Diane Snelling, the delegation’s lone Republican, retired earlier this year, and Helen Riehle, a Republican appointed by Gov. Peter Shumlin to complete Snelling’s term, chose not to stand for re-election.
Sen. Tim Ashe, a Progressive/Democrat, widely seen as the most likely candidate to become the Senate’s next pro tempore, once again led the pack, garnering more than 42,000 votes – 3,000 more than second place finisher Democrat Ginny Lyons.
Rep. Chris Pearson, a Burlington Progressive who ran his first campaign as a Democrat to help propel him into the upper chamber, finished sixth with close to 30,000 votes.
Debbie Ingram and incumbents Michael Sirotkin and Phil Baruth were the third, fourth and fifth place winners respectively.
The lone Republican, John Gifford, the Milton town treasurer, didn’t make the cut, earning 24,000 votes. Independent Tom Licata received 16,000 votes.
Chittenden County has 35 House seats, or nearly a quarter of the 150-member lower chamber. Republicans lost one of the eight seats they held in the county delegation, with the rest going to Democrats or Democrat-Progressive fusion candidates.
Democrats picked up a seat in Essex, where incumbent Republican Paul Dame was defeated. The Chittenden 8-2 district will be represented by two new members: Democrats Lori Houghton and Dylan Giambatista — the former chief of staff for outgoing House Speaker Shap Smith.
In Burlington’s Chittenden 6-1 district, Rep. Joanna Cole, a Democrat, was defeated with 23 percent. Democrat Carol Ode took one seat in that district, with 28 percent, and Republican incumbent Kurt Wright kept his seat with 24 percent.
Several other incumbents held their positions through contested races, including Democrat Rep. Ann Pugh, who kept her South Burlington seat by defeating a tough challenge from Republican Sam Handy. Pugh won with 58 percent of the vote to Handy’s 42 percent.
Democrat Curt Taylor edged out incumbent Republican Joey Purvis in the Colcheter 9-1 district by a margin of 31 votes. Incumbent Democrat Jim Condon was the leader in that district with 34 percent of the vote. Pat Liebrecht, a GOP candidate, got just 12 percent.
