By Guy Page
As of 12:20 AM, Nov. 4, with 252 of 275 districts reporting, several House districts appear to have “flipped” to a different party, according to the Vermont Secretary of State website. The net impact of these preliminary results is a gain of three seats for the GOP.
In statewide races, incumbent Gov. Phil Scott, Democratic lieutenant general nominee Molly Gray, and incumbent treasurer Beth Pearce have won. In the House, Republicans need to pick up eight more votes to have a decisive 51 votes to sustain vetos by Scott. Here are returns for House seats that have, or appear to be, “flipping” to another party:
- Essex Junction (Chittenden 8-1) Prog/Dem Tanya Vyhovsky won the seat vacated by retiring Republican Linda Myers. Democrat Mary Beth Redmond won re-election.
- Democrat challenger Allysa Black appears to have defeated R incumbent Robert Bancroft in Westford.
- Rep. Lisa Hango and challenger Paul Martin, both Republicans, appear to have won both seats in the two-seat Franklin 5 district. Democrat incumbent Charen Fegard appears to have been defeated.
- In Grand Isle, Republicans Leland Morgan and Michael Morgan lead House Speaker Mitzi Johnson (D) and Dem. Andy Julow. The latter Morgan has only an 18 vote lead over Johnson. Even if these are the final tallies, a recount seems likely.
- In the Orange-Caledonia seat now held by retiring Democrat Chip Conquest, Republican Joe Parsons holds an eight point lead over Kelsey Root-Winchester, with one town still unreported.
- Republican Sally Achey holds a one-point lead over Progressive incumbent Robin Chesnut-Tangerman, with all five towns reporting.
- Republican incumbent Tom Burditt and Republican challenger Art Peterson lead in the two-seat Rutland 2 district. Incumbent Dave Potter is 45 votes behind Peterson.
With 246 of 275 electoral districts reporting, there are no upsets yet in Vermont Senate races:
- Essex-Orleans Republican Russ Ingalls appears to win seat held by incumbent John Rodgers, who missed filing deadline and ran as independent. Essex-Orleans R/Dem Bobby Starr holds onto his seat.
- In Rutland, Josh Terenzini (R) wins the seat vacated by Jim McNeil (R). Incumbents Brian Collamore (R) and Cheryl Hooker (D) also win.
- In Chittenden County, conservative Dem Tom Chittenden is top vote-getter, which once again is a Dem/Prog sweep.
Bennington, Caledonia, Windham, Windsor, Orange, Franklin, Lamoille, Grand Isle, Washington county senators all have been re-elected.
In county High Bailiff races, “social justice” and pro-legal marijuana advocates Dave Silberman (Addison), Robert Sand (Windsor), and Asa Skinder (Washington) all won. Candidates with similar platforms lost in Franklin and Lamoille counties.
President Donald Trump received 30% of the vote, the same number he received in 2016. Phil Scott defeated David Zuckerman 67%-27%. Gray defeated Scott Milne 49%-42%.