Updated at 1:54 p.m. on Oct. 21, 2025
Sen. Sam Douglass, R-Orleans, said last week he would resign effective noon on Monday after comments he and his wife made in a Young Republicans group chat rife with hateful messages leaked, making national headlines.
However, as of 11 a.m. on Tuesday, the office of Gov. Phil Scott had not received official notice of the first-term lawmaker’s resignation. And as of Monday late morning, Douglass also remained chair of the Orleans County Republican Committee, the body expected to help identify his replacement.
To resign from the Vermont Senate, a senator must submit their resignation to the governor, lieutenant governor or the secretary of the Senate, according to John Bloomer, Senate secretary and an expert on the Vermont Senate’s rules. Often, resignation letters are received by all three officials, according to Bloomer, who said he had not received a resignation from Douglass as of Tuesday afternoon.
Gov. Phil Scott has the power to appoint people to vacant legislative seats in a process laid out in state law. Normally, the governor would request a list of recommended replacements from the party committee from the district represented.
The Orleans County Senate district encompasses 20 towns, including Montgomery in Franklin County, and Burke, Newark, Sheffield and Sutton in Caledonia County. Any of the district’s towns with an active GOP caucus can have a say in Douglass’ replacement, according to Chet Greenwood, Orleans County Republican Committee treasurer and a former longtime chair.
Greenwood said that as of Monday morning, Douglass had not resigned as chair of the county party, adding that he was “not sure what his plans are.”
“It’s going to be hard for him to keep his position,” he added.
Douglass did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether he intended to remain chair of the county committee.
Anya Tynio, who previously ran for Vermont’s U.S. House seat as a Republican, currently serves as the Orleans County Republican Committee’s vice chair. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
The county committee has not formally begun the process of replacing Douglass, Greenwood said. A meeting requires a warning at least three days ahead of time, and the committee has not yet warned a meeting. He was unsure when the process will begin for compiling potential replacements for Douglass.
The governor “can take as long as he wants” once he has the list of names, Greenwood said.
Douglass has faced intense pressure to resign from leaders across the political spectrum in Vermont since a Politico report last Tuesday revealed bigoted remarks Young Republican leaders across the country made, including Douglass and his wife, Brianna Douglass, in a Telegram group chat.
Following Politico’s story, Vermont elected officials across the political spectrum quickly called for Douglass to resign.
The exposé revealed members of the Young Republicans Telegram chat referring to rape as “epic” and expressing “love” for Hitler, in addition to a slew of other racist and homophobic comments.
It’s unclear who might top the list of recommendations to replace Douglass. In the 2024 Republican primary, he defeated Aime Conrad Bellavance. The seat was previously held by Vermont Senate stalwart Bobby Starr, a moderate Democrat.
In an early bid for legislative office more than a year in advance, Gaston Bathalon, a Democrat from Troy, announced Monday he’d run for the Orleans County Senate seat Douglass is vacating. The election isn’t until November 2026.
Bathalon, an Army veteran, has served on the Troy Selectboard and local school boards.
