WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Three candidates have thrown their hats into the ring to succeed retiring state Sen. Alison Clarkson.
After 22 years in the state Legislature, Clarkson, D-Woodstock, plans to retire at the end of the session, leaving one of three seats representing Windsor County in the Senate up for grabs in November.
Current Pomfret Selectboard Chairman Benjamin Brickner is running on a platform “connecting affordability, education, emergency services, land use and housing,” according to a news release. Brickner sees these as interconnected challenges best addressed by a “senator with on-the-ground local government experience.”
Brickner is seeking the Democratic nomination and plans to formally announce his candidacy at 3:30 p.m. Monday at Pomfret Town Hall.
State Rep. Elizabeth Burrows, D-West Windsor, is fighting for Clarkson’s seat after three terms serving Hartland, West Windsor and Windsor in the Vermont House of Representatives. She is looking for both the Democratic and Progressive party nominations and also serves on the Mount Ascutney School Board.
Burrows announced her candidacy in March and believes she “would bring a wealth of knowledge and experience in the public education system to the Senate,” according to a news release. She is also focused on establishing universal primary care and building housing “for the needs of working class people.”
Outside of the Upper Valley, Heather Chase, of Chester Vt. launched her campaign in mid-March. Chase was elected as a Democratic state representative in 2022 and served one term before losing a bid for reelection in 2024.
