Democratic ticket senate nominees from Chittenden Central may look to align for the general election
Tanya Vhovsky, Sen. Phil Baruth and Martine Gulick advance to the VT general election as senate candidates for the Chittenden Central District, which includes Winooski.
The Democratic Party’s three candidates for the new Chittenden Central District are set after a contentious recount in the Aug. 9 primary — and now they must decide how to run in the general election.
Ten days after polls closed, Martine Gulick edged out Erhard Mahnke for the third and final slot on the ballot, topping Mahnke by just four votes, according to VTDigger.
Gulick, running as a Democrat, joined the other two victors: Tanya Vhovsky, running as a Progressive first, Democrat second, and incumbent Sen. Phil Baruth, D/P-Chittenden. They do not share the same party affiliation, but does that even matter?
Baruth, the only incumbent in the election, thinks it does not.
“I think sometimes too much can be made of the placement of one initial over another,” he said, referring to Democrats and Progressives. “We see the world in very similar ways, and we've made amazing progress together in the Senate, and I think that's the important thing.”
Baruth was a Democrat before he moved to Vermont from California. He said he did not see much difference between Progressives and Democrats in Vermont and asked the Progressive Party for its endorsement, which was granted.
Gulick said she doesn’t see much that divides the two parties over policy either.
“I'm actually really curious to know what is the difference between a Progressive and a Democrat,” she said.
For this reason, Baruth thinks that campaigning together in the general election is the right move for the three Democratic nominees.
“It's the ideal approach,” he said. “You want to begin working together and relying on one another and helping each other before you get to the Senate, not after.”
Baruth said before the recount that no matter who the third nominee turned out to be, they would all link arms and run together.
Vhovsky, the top vote-getter in Winooski, seemed to agree. She said that a lot of the time, this type of Democratic slate does run together in the general election. She also said Baruth had asked her to campaign with him after the two of them had won.
“I do anticipate that we will work together in the general election,” she said of her and Baruth.
Gulick, who was only recently declared a winner at the time of this story, said she had not heard from either candidate yet. However, she said she would welcome the idea of working together.
“They've got experience,” she said. “I have a lot to learn from both of them. I also feel as though, for the most part, our platforms have been really fairly similar.”
There was no Republican opposition in the primary election. Independent Infinite Culcleasure recently joined the race, according to VTDigger.