Woodstock
In the Orange Senate District, state Sen. Mark MacDonald, D-Williamstown, was leading challenger Republican Bill Huff, of Thetford.
With three towns reporting, MacDonald led Huff, 1,042-790, and Huff said that results from a fourth town reinforced his perception that he was unlikely to win.
“I’m not ready to concede, but I recognize that the numbers are insurmountable,” he said.
Huff said he felt his electoral chances had been hurt by left-leaning voters who were energized in opposition to President Donald Trump. As of late Tuesday, MacDonald held 62 percent of the vote; in 2016, he garnered 54 percent of the vote against a Republican challenger.
“It’s really unfortunate because the Republican candidates in Vermont have nothing to do with Trump or D.C.,” Huff said. He said it was too early to say what his future in public service might be, but he was more certain of how his personal future would play out in the near term.
“I’m going to go hunting,” he said. “I’m going to sit in the woods for a couple of days. I find that to be therapeutic.”
Though candidates often make their strongest showings in their hometowns, Huff carried MacDonald’s hometown of Williamstown 658-560, while MacDonald won Huff’s hometown of Thetford, 1,041 to 402.
If the lead holds, it positions MacDonald, a 75-year-old retired history teacher, to serve a ninth term in the Senate. MacDonald was not available for comment late Tuesday night.
During the campaign, MacDonald and Huff both framed the race in terms of the state economy, but each had a very different focus — MacDonald favored a livable minimum wage and doing more to prevent out-of-state chain corporations from exploiting the Vermont workforce, while Huff favored growing the economy through deregulation and lowering of fees and taxes for businesses and individuals.
The two-seat Caledonia Senate district, which includes several Orange County towns in the Bradford area, had two unopposed incumbents — state Sens. Jane Kitchel, D-Danville, and Joe Benning, R-Lyndon — cruising to victory.
Meanwhile, in Vermont’s three-seat Windsor Senate District, Sens. Dick McCormack, D-Bethel; Alison Clarkson, D-Woodstock; and Alice Nitka, D-Ludlow, appeared to be coasting to victory.
With 18 of 28 towns reporting results, the incumbents were the top three vote-getters: McCormack had 2,181 votes; Clarkson, 2,326; and Nitka, 1,973.
Among the challengers, Republican Wayne Townsend, of Bethel, did the best with 571 votes. Republican Randy Gray, of Springfield, had 441; and Republican Jack Williams, of Perkinsville, had 386; while independent Mason Wade, of Rochester, trailed with 231.
During the campaign, all three Democrats said they wouldn’t vote to repeal Act 46, the 2015 education reform bill, but that they would consider tweaks to make things easier for districts such as Barnard, which face forced consolidation under the law.
Of the three, Nitka has distinguished herself from her Democratic colleagues on a few key issues.
She was the only one of the three who voted against a package of gun safety measures signed into law this spring by Gov. Phil Scott; she the only one to oppose legalization of recreational marijuana; and she also was the only one who spoke strongly against the idea of a carbon tax.
By capturing all three seats, Democrats extended their win streak in the Senate district to 22 years.
Matt Hongoltz-Hetling can be reached at mhonghet@vnews.com or 603-727-3211.