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Primary Roundup: Who won in contested House, Senate primaries

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Results are from the Secretary of State’s website as of 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Becca Balint’s first political foray is likely to result in her landing one of only 30 state Senate seats.

Becca Balint

Becca Balint

Balint, of Brattleboro, bested former Agriculture Secretary Roger Allbee by about 500 votes Tuesday to secure one of two spots on the Windham County Democratic ballot in November. With no Republicans in the race, Balint and incumbent Sen. Jeanette White, the top vote-getter in Tuesday’s primary, are favored to claim victory in the Nov. 4 general election. They will, however, face a challenge from independent Mary Hasson and Liberty Union candidates Aaron Diamondstone and Jerry Levy.

Balint is looking to replace Sen. Peter Galbraith, D-Windham, who decided not seek re-election and who had endorsed Allbee’s bid. Balint has the support of Senate majority leader Philip Baruth, D-Chittenden.

“It is not hyperbole to say I’m stunned,” Balint said Wednesday.

Balint, 46, is one of four women who graduated from the first class of Emerge Vermont to enter the political arena this year. The national training program for female candidates held its first Vermont session this year and Balint said the preparation was crucial to her victory.

“I could not have succeeded without the help of Emerge Vermont,” Balint said. “There is so much you don’t know (when considering a run),” she said.

Balint said the key to her victory was using the fundraising and marketing tools she learned from Emerge Vermont, which was spearheaded in the state by former Gov. Madeleine Kunin. Balint said the training enabled her to reach out to younger voters through social media and “word of mouth.”

Balint has raised in excess of $13,000, more than any of the four Democrats in the primary race, and said she needed it to counter Allbee’s name recognition.

“We did an extensive direct mail campaign, which cost about $10,000,” she said. “We worked really hard to bring more people to the polls. We had a great team of volunteers and paid staff and ran a smart race.”

Allbee is a former Republican who is well-known in Windham County and is CEO at Grace Cottage Hospital in Townshend. He served as agriculture secretary under former Republican Gov. Jim Douglas.

White had 2,199 votes, Balint 1,639, Allbee 1,149 and Joan Bowman 427, according to the Brattleboro Reformer’s most recent tally.

Kiah Morris

Kiah Morris

If elected to the Senate, Balint, a former teacher and the mother of two young children, said she would focus on education reform and economic development for Windham County, which will soon feel the effects of the closing of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. She said she was not taking the general election for granted.

Another Emerge graduate, Kiah Morris, was the top vote-getter in a Democratic primary to represent the Bennington 2-2 district in the House. Morris and Joann Erenhouse advanced in a tight four-way Democratic primary and will face incumbent Rep. Mary Morrissey, a Republican, in the two-seat district. Incumbent Democrat Rep. Anne Mook did not seek re-election. Morris had 239 votes, Erenhouse 184, Jim Carroll 164 and Brandy Reynolds 154.

Dawn Ellis

Dawn Ellis

Emerge alumnus Dawn Ellis is one of six Democrats on the ballot for an equal number of Senate seats in Chittenden County. A fourth, Julie Raboin of Newport, has dropped out of her House race for health reasons. She has thrown her support behind Progressive Carl Davis in the contest for two seats, including the one vacated by Rep. Duncan Kilmartin.

Other contested House races

Addison 1: Democrats Amy Sheldon (460) and incumbent Rep. Betty Nuovo (378) held off Donna Donahue (324) in a two-person Middlebury district that has a vacant seat left by Rep. Paul Ralston.

Bennington 2-1: Incumbent Tim Corcoran (812) and Rachael Fields (340) advanced to the general election in a contest that includes a seat left vacant by Rep. Brian Campion, who is running for state Senate. Jackie Kelly was third (222).

Caledonia 1: Republican Marcia Martel defeated incumbent Rep. Leigh Larocque 237-165. She will face Democrat Claudette Sortino in November.

Caledonia 3: Republicans Janssen Wilhoit (284) and Scott Beck (283) topped Tom Moore (170). They will face incumbent Democrats Michelle Fay and Bob South in November.

Chittenden 6-7: Newcomer Diana Gonzalez was the leading Democrat in a three-way primary for two seats representing Winooski. Gonzalez received 272 votes, incumbent Rep. Clem Bissonnette had 230 and Kenneth Atkins got 198. Incumbent Rep. George Cross did not seek re-election.

Essex-Caledonia-Orleans: The towns and gores area appear to have chosen Barton Chronicle reporter Paul Lefebvre in a Republican three-way primary to replace retiring Rep. Bill Johnson. Lefebvre had 104 votes, Kenn Stransky 80 and Maurice Connary 13 with seven of eight precincts counted. The primary winner has a clear path in the November election.

Windsor-Orange 2: Tim Briglin (1,176) and incumbent Rep. Jim Masland (1,094) advanced in the Democratic primary over Irv Thomae (601) and Jill Michaels (397). Incumbent Rep. Kathy Hoyt, who was appointed to the seat by Gov. Peter Shumlin when Rep. Margaret Cheney left to join the Public Service Board, did not seek election.

Rutland 3: Incumbent Republicans Bill Canfield (306) and Bob Helm (261) defeated Dean Powers (75) in the two-seat district.

Rutland-Bennington: Republican Valerie Harris (199) topped Eric Mach (119) for the right to face Democrat Robin Chesnut-Tangerman. Democratic incumbent Rep. John Malcolm is retiring from the House. The district covers Pawlet, Rupert, Middletown Springs, Tinmouth and Wells.

Contested state’s attorney races

Jennifer Barrett

Jennifer Barrett

Essex: Incumbent Vince Illuzzi was expected to top Republican challenger Julianne Woolard. He led 142-96 with nine of 13 towns reporting.

Grand Isle: Douglas Disabito (447) defeated incumbent prosecutor David Miller (330).

Lamoille: Democrat Paul Finnerty led Christopher Moll 299-170.

Orleans: State’s Attorney Alan Franklin, who was appointed to the position formerly held by Department of Public Safety Commissioner Keith Flynn, appears to have lost to Republican challenger Jennifer Barrett. Franklin trailed 538-754 with 18 or 20 precincts counted. Barrett was formerly a clerk in Franklin’s office.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Primary Roundup: Who won in contested House, Senate primaries.


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