AREA TOWNS – Last Tuesday’s election on November 5 featured GOP wins in the Caledonia and Orleans Senate races as well as the Caledonia-4 House race, all of which had been filled for many years by Democrats.
Bucking that trend, in a close race, Democrat Leanne Harple of Glover was elected to serve the Orleans-4 House District, narrowly defeating Tony Daniels of Albany with 52.5% of votes cast. The district serves Craftsbury, Greensboro, Albany and Glover.
Harple, a Hazen Union School English language arts teacher and working mother said, “Thank you to the voters of Orleans 4 for choosing me to be our voice in Montpelier. It’s an incredible honor to have earned your trust. I vow to take this responsibility seriously. I’d also like to thank Tony Daniels, who ran a strong race and who was always friendly and kind to me throughout the campaign. I believe that together, Tony and I set a good example for what politics should be.”
She added, “Thank you to the many people in our community who helped me along the way, through donations, hours of volunteering to march in parades, sending out postcards and reaching out to voters. I made many new friends along the way. To our whole community, I am looking forward to fulfilling my promises to work hard on the issues that affect us most and to ensure that the Northeast Kingdom continues to matter. This is such a special place, and I love that I call it home. In part it’s because of the beauty of our landscapes, but mostly it’s because of the people. Thank you for being my neighbors.”
In the Washington-6 House District serving Cabot, Danville and Peacham, lifelong Cabot farmer and small business owner Greg Burtt won over retired physician Thomas Ziobrowski with a significant margin at 56.3% of votes cast. “
“I’m pleased to see that our communities are seeking a simpler, more sensible, and affordable government,” said Burtt. “I’m eager to get to work with a team of other like-minded representatives and senators to make some much needed changes.
In the Washington County Senate race, all three Democratic incumbents will return to represent the county that includes Calais, Cabot, Marshfield, Plainfield and Woodbury in the Gazette area. The newest member of that trio, Senator Anne Watson from Barre City said, “I’m very grateful to have the support of the voters of the Washington District, and I look forward to being in touch with them and representing them in the Senate. It’s time to get to work on the priorities that I ran on: lowering property taxes, building more housing and climate action.”
Watson’s fellow Senators from Washington County will include the senate’s senior member, Montpelier’s Ann Cummings, who has served since 1997 and Marshfield’s Andrew Perchlik, who has served since 2019.
Hyde Park’s Maureen Heck ran as an Independent, taking on 13-year incumbent Senator Richard Westman from Cambridge. Heck received 33.1% of Lamoille County’s vote for senator in the district that includes Wolcott in the Gazette area. She said, “Thanks to all that casted their vote in support of my senate run, as we did impressively well for my first time.
“Voters are entitled to a clear choice between candidates based upon their party affiliation and positions that are not blurred by multiparty (Rep-Dem) affiliations just to monopolize the election.
“I am most appreciative for the support and encouragement that my Constituents have given me as we were so hopeful for change.
“Vermont has a multitude of fiscal crises to address come January. I wish them all the best to figure out a fiscal road map out of this historic mess without increasing taxes further.”
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
