Press: Primary ballot lineups are set for August 13 voting

BENNINGTON – As is often the case, only a handful of nomination contests appear on the Vermont primary ballot.

However, a four-candidate battle for two nominations from the Bennington-2 House district and a multi-faceted contest for two Bennington district Senate seats highlight the August 13 Democratic primary here and have attracted considerable interest.

Voters will select party nominees for those posts and for statewide offices to appear on the November election ballot. All of the local primary contests are on the Democratic Party side.

STATE SENATE

There is little normality when it comes to the primary race for two Democratic nominations for state Senate positions. That’s because the only names on the primary ballot are those of current state Rep. Seth Bongartz, D-Manchester, and the late Sen. Dick Sears, who died in June after the deadline for others to get on the primary ballot had passed.

Sears’ name will remain on the ballot, and observers believe that many voters – perhaps a majority — might cast ballots for someone they have supported for years.

Essentially, if the late senator’s name receives more votes than any write-in candidate, the nomination would likely be decided by the Bennington County Democratic Committee, which is expected to meet soon after the primary to review the voting results.

Three Democrats have announced a run for one of the two Senate nominations, while Bongartz, who is listed on the ballot along with Sears, is expected to land one of the November ballot spots.

Robert Plunkett of Bennington, and Kate Seaton of Shaftsbury, have announced write-in campaigns for a Senate nomination, and Jonathan West, of Manchester, has said he’ll seek a nomination through the county Democratic committee, while urging votes for Sears as a tribute to his long legislative service.

Bongartz and Plunkett have been campaigning as a team with both names on campaign lawn signs. Seaton announced her write-in campaign last month.

In November, the two Democratic nominees will face Republican Joe Gervais, of Arlington, who is unopposed in his primary, and former Democratic state Rep. Cynthia Browning, also of Arlington, who said she is running as an independent.

Lawrence “Spike” Whitmire, of Shaftsbury, and Steven E. "Steve" Berry, of Manchester, also have qualified for the November ballot as independents for the Senate.

Berry qualified as well for the November ballot for U.S. senator, which would put him in a race against U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is unopposed on the Democratic primary election ballot.

Andrew Shaw of Manchester has qualified for the November ballot as an independent candidate for Bennington County high bailiff.

FOUR FOR TWO

In the Bennington-2 House district, the race for Democratic nominations for two seats has attracted a quartet of candidates, and the race is more straightforward.

The four are Rep. Timothy Corcoran, Asher Edelson, Will Greer and Leon Johnson.

Two will make it to the November 5 ballot, where they will face at least one Republican, Anthony Cook of North Bennington, who is unopposed in his party’s primary.

Independent candidates had until August 8 to submit voter signatures to qualify for the November ballot.

STATEWIDE RACES

In the statewide primary races on the Republican side, John S. Rodgers of Glover faces Gregory M. Thayer of Rutland City for the party’s nomination for lieutenant governor.

On the Democratic side, Esther Charlestin of Middlebury faces Peter Duval of Underhill for the nomination for governor, while Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman of Hinesburg faces a challenge from Thomas Renner of Winooski for the party’s nomination for the November ballot.

Gov. Phil Scott is unopposed for re-election on the Republican primary ballot.

There are no other primary contests on either party ballot for statewide or federal positions.