By Guy Page
Victory, in Essex County, took first place in voter turnout in the August 13 statewide primary, with 57% of all registered voters casting ballots.
Statewide, however, it was a slow day at the polls as 77,363 voters cast ballots – cast ballots – 15.26% of Vermont’s 506,830 registered voters. Results from contested primaries can be seen elsewhere in today’s Vermont Daily Chronicle and on the Vermont Secretary of State’s website.
Unlike other towns with high turnout rates, Victory – population 70 according to the 2020 census – had no legislative primary. Sen. Russ Ingalls and Rep. John Kascenska, both Republicans, ran unopposed. NEK resident John Rodgers defeated Greg Thayer of Rutland 25-6 in the lieutenant governor primary. Only five votes were cast in the Democratic LG primary.
On the other end of the voter participation spectrum, the Franklin County towns of Sheldon and Richford both showed up at 6%. Enosburgh was just ahead of them at 7%. Franklin County had no legislative primaries and none of the LG or gubernatorial candidates were native sons or daughters.
The relatively low turnout rate statewide has been ascribed to good weather, low interest in the marquee races, and low interest in anything political in mid-August.
At least two trends can be discerned: incumbent Democrats held off centrist-right challengers, and centrist, Phil Scott-ish Republicans also fared well.
Zuckerman is a Prog/Democrat with little love between him and many Democratic leaders. Yet he managed to handily defeat (56-36%) Thomas Renner, a staff member of Rep. Becca Balint’s who was broadly endorsed by leading Democrats, including four state senators.
Rodgers of Glover is a former ‘blue-dog’ Democrat running with the backing of Gov. Phil Scott. He bested GOP conservative activist Thayer by a similar 56-35% margin. Both men are farmers. Rodgers is a marijuana farmer, and Hinesburg vegetable farmer Zuckerman – a strong proponent of legal marijuana – said after cannabis legalization he might eventually seek a license to grow.
In the Chittenden Central Senate district, self-avowed socialist Tanya Vyhovsky and two other incumbents, Nadine Gulick and Phil Baruth, defeated Stewart Ledbetter, a first-time candidate running on fiscal accountability and more housing opportunities. The final margin was not particularly close, with Ledbetter trailing 3rd place finisher Vyhovsky by 303 votes.
In the Chittenden Southeast district, incumbents Ginny Lyons, Tom Chittenden and Kesha Ram Hinsdale turned back health care reform activist Dr. Louis Meyers.
In Addison County, incumbents Ruth Hardy and Chris Bray easily bested challenger Rep. Caleb Elder, who had vocally criticized the Democratic House leadership’s inaction on housing.