by Sam Douglass

Joanna Grossman of Burlington and Dr. Elizabeth Ann Hunt of Charlotte are seeking to challenge the three incumbent Democrat senators in the Chittenden Southeast district. This creates a five-way primary for the seats currently held by Senators Thomas Chittenden, Virginia Lyons, and Kesha Ram Hinsdale. The district includes Burlington’s South End, South Burlington, and surrounding towns including Shelburne, Charlotte, and Williston.

Joanna Grossman is a community organizer, Democratic campaign strategist, and co-host of the podcast “There’s No ‘A’ in Creemee.” This is her first time running as a candidate after years working in political organizing and local campaigns.

Grossman describes herself as a veteran organizer with nearly two decades of experience, including work with the national Indivisible movement and multiple campaigns in Vermont. She worked as a Community Relations Director at Phoenix Books and played a public role in opposition to the proposed Amazon distribution facility in Essex, an effort that ultimately succeeded in blocking the project.

According to her website, Grossman’s campaign centers on four main policy areas: education, healthcare, housing, and supporting local communities by opposing corporate interests.

She opposes school funding cuts and argues against school consolidation efforts, arguing a lack of evidence that they would reduce costs. She also supports exploring a second-homeowner tax as part of a broader effort to stabilize education funding.

She also argues that controlling health care costs would help reduce school budget pressures.

For healthcare, she supports expanding access to affordable primary care and reducing the influence of large health systems, which she describes as monopolistic. She advocates for strengthening independent providers and prioritizing patient access over institutional profit.

For housing, she acknowledges the statewide housing shortage and argues that Vermont must focus on housing for residents rather than out-of-state investors. Her platform calls for increasing density in town centers while allowing rural growth, alongside stronger regional coordination among municipalities.

Grossman labels her support of small businesses as “Main Street over Wall Street,” with a strong opposition to large corporations. She argues that Vermont must strengthen its tax base by protecting local economies and reducing reliance on outside corporate interests.

In her platform, Grossman frequently emphasizes coalition-building at all levels of government, arguing that towns alone cannot solve challenges like housing and health care.

Dr. Elizabeth Ann Hunt is a pediatrician and Charlotte resident entering politics for the first time after a career in clinical medicine, public health, and community health advocacy.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Hunt began working in health care settings as a teenager and later studied public health in college. She served more than two years in the Peace Corps in South America and has worked in health and humanitarian settings in countries including Ecuador, South Africa, Panama, and Haiti. She is fluent in Spanish and has worked with asylum seekers and migrant families in clinical and translation roles.

Hunt currently practices pediatrics at Timber Lane Pediatrics and has also worked at the University of Vermont Medical Center, Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center, and as a physician owner in a primary care group practice. She has served on multiple Vermont committees focused on pediatric care and health system delivery.

She lives in Charlotte and has been active in South Burlington and the surrounding communities through volunteer work, including coaching, school involvement, and participation in local COVID-19 response efforts. She also founded a nonprofit, A Vermont Story, focused on youth-produced media addressing mental health and well-being.

Hunt’s campaign and platform are centered on healthcare system reform and workforce development.

In a press release, she called for major structural changes to Vermont’s health system, arguing that incremental reforms have failed.

“We’ve had years of misguided, piecemeal efforts,” the press release said. “We need to break free from the status quo.”

Her platform includes expanding access to primary, healthcare workforce development, and system coordination to reduce costs. She argues that strengthening primary care would reduce costly emergency room and hospital use, which would have downstream effects on school budgets, housing stability, and the broader economy.

Hunt supports creating structured pathways for students into health care careers through coordinated education and labor initiatives.

Hunt describes herself as a patriotic optimist focused on system efficiency and collaboration. She aims to bring clinical experience into policymaking and emphasizes working across political divisions.

“We need a new direction,” she said. “I bring courage and a deep commitment to protecting our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”