By Paul Bean

Sam Douglass, Native of Troy/Jay, squares off against Conrad Bellevance of Newport Town in the August 13 Republican Primary for Orleans County State Senator on Tuesday. 

This is now the second time that Douglass has run for State Senate in Orleans county, and he is making a great effort to get through the primary. “I am out every single day for 5 hours at least. Around 200 signs, almost all on private property. I have a large pool of volunteers,” He told me over the phone. 

Conrad Bellavance has also been putting in the work to get his name out there. Bellavance has participated in 4 parades this summer with a team of supporters, and he aims to build a coalition of voters that are concerned about rural Vermont. “(I) will work to keep our Vermont traditions alive and out of the control of those that oppose our rural way of life…the way those that live…that have lived in these Green Mountains…the way Vermonters have lived and supported their families for well over two centuries,” wrote Bellavance on a July 26 Facebook post. 

Whoever does get through this primary will face Democratic Candidate Katherine Sims of Craftsbury, who has now served in the Legislature for 4 years. Sims has been endorsed by the retired incumbent, Bobby Starr, Bernie Sanders, Becca Balint, and a list of established Democrats in Vermont. 

On the fundraising end, Douglass has raised $7,123, and Bellavance has raised $3,400, so if you measure campaigns by fundraising, Douglass has the lead in at least the Republican Primary. However, both candidates will have a formidable challenge in catching up to Sims, who has raised $46,295.89 before the primary’s end.

“In this race, my youth, energy, and passion define me, and I can speak for working class Vermonters, because I am a working class Vermonter,” Douglass said by phone. “I’m endorsed by multiple legislators, past and present, covering the majority of the towns in my district, and I have the experience and the work ethic that will bring me over the finish line in August and November.”

If elected, Douglass, Bellavance, or Sims would represent the towns of Albany, Barton, Brownington, Burke, Charleston, Coventry, Craftsbury, Glover, Greensboro, Irasburg, Jay, Lowell, Montgomery, Newark, Newport Town, Sheffield, Sutton, Troy, Westfield, Westmore.

“Vermonters, it is time to stand up and stand firm against the super majority in our Statehouse.  It is time to stand firm and support Governor Phil Scott who is tirelessly trying to keep Vermont affordable,” writes Bellavance in a June 13 Facebook post. “It is time to stand firm against those that have been voting on legislation destined to make Vermont UNAFFORDABLE.  Don’t just vote for someone that smiles on a video and says that they want an affordable Vermont. Check their voting record online. Check out what legislation that they have supported.”

For anyone out there that is wondering if their candidate has supported the Governor and his Veto’s, they can check their voting records right here on the Vermont Daily Chronicle. If you wanted to know how they voted before the Veto session, you can see that here too. So be sure, once we do get past the primary to make sure that you are voting based on your own knowledge and understanding of how your legislators have voted and will vote in the future.