Glenn Russell/VTDigger and Courtesy
Carly Berlin covers housing and infrastructure for Vermont Public, in partnership with VTDigger.
A prominent Northeast Kingdom landlord and business owner is vying for a seat in the Vermont House. And so is his wife.
Steve Dolgin hopes to join incumbent Rep. Debbie Dolgin to represent the two-member Caledonia-Essex district, which spans St. Johnsbury, Kirby and Concord. Both are running as Republicans. The couple were the subject of a Vermont Public/VTDigger investigation earlier this year.
The husband and wife duo say they are not campaigning as a team, though their platforms both focus on affordability. Both say Vermont needs to stop “kicking the can down the road” on addressing major issues like housing and education.
Steve Dolgin has proposed a temporary hold on all new non-emergency spending until the state balances its budget without adding new taxes.
“It’s Business 101 – you either raise prices or cut expenses,” Steve said in an interview. “In the private world, if you just raise your prices, you’re probably going to be out of business. That’s where we are in Vermont. We’re really out of business.”
In addition to owning about three dozen rental units in the region, the couple also own a local boat dock company and a used car dealership in Plattsburgh. Steve is a popular waterski instructor. His campaign currently has $100 in the bank, according to campaign finance filings.
While the race represents Steve Dolgin’s first foray into electoral politics, he has already been vocal at the Statehouse.
In 2025, Steve testified to his wife’s committee – which focuses on housing legislation – telling her and her colleagues that they ought to drastically shorten the time it takes to evict tenants who fall behind on rent. Rep. Dolgin, who co-owns the family’s rental business with Steve, later introduced a bill to do precisely that, though it never advanced.
An April 2026 Vermont Public/VTDigger investigation found that the Dolgins are persistent in their pursuit of unpaid rent and damages from tenants.
For years, they brought cases before an assistant judge who issued arrest warrants for their tenants – until the judge resigned following accusations that the issuing of the warrants was unlawful. Prospective renters and ex-tenants have sued them for holding onto their deposits, and some renters have told the court that their units had habitability issues.
The Dolgins say that they keep their units in good condition and that pursuing debts from prior tenants is key to protecting their investments – and sending a message to the broader community that people can’t rent their units for free.
If elected, Steve Dolgin said he “would want to advocate for the landlords,” though eviction issues would likely not be his primary focus. He was disappointed to see little action on landlord-tenant law this year. A major revision bill fell apart at the eleventh hour – though Steve thought it tilted too much toward tenants in the end.
If the Legislature can make it easier to evict tenants who fall behind on rent, violate their leases or engage in criminal activity – a category of renters Steve calls “the dark side” – then more private landlords will invest in Vermont’s housing stock, he argued.
While a husband and wife pair running to represent a district together is highly unusual, it’s not unheard of for relatives to serve together in the General Assembly, according to Senate Secretary John Bloomer. That includes Bloomer’s own family: In the early 2000s, he and his stepfather both served in the Senate while his mother served in the House, all representing the Rutland area.
The Dolgins are not the only relatives competing in this year’s election cycle: In the nearby Orange-Caledonia district, Aiden Otterman and great-uncle Tom Otterman are vying for the same seat, Aiden as a Democrat and Tom as a Republican.
The Dolgins are the sole candidates competing in the Republican primary in their district. They’ll face two Democratic challengers, Heather Young and Amanda Cochrane, and an independent, Brandolyn Bradley.
Vermont’s primary election is on Aug. 11.
