The White River Valley Herald

Democrats Sweep Windsor Senate Seats



With six candidates and three Windsor District Senate seats up for election, Democratic trio Alison Clarkson, Richard McCormack and Rebbecca White swept the field Tuesday.

Incumbent Clarkson returns to the Vermont State Senate with 17,027 votes at 6.64% of the vote. A Woodstock residents, she’ll assume office echoing 2020’s senate race, where she also claimed the majority of votes.

White won a Windsor District Senate seat with 16,729 votes at 6.53% of votes cast. Moving up to a new chamber from her office in the Vermont House of Representatives for Windsor-4-2 district, White will take over the seat vacated by Alice Nitka, a Democrat from Ludlow.

Richard “Dick” McCormack of Bethel was re-elected to a Windsor District seat with 16,523 votes or 6.45% of votes cast.

From the White River Valley community, including Barnard, Bethel, Pittsfield, Royalton, Sharon, and Stockbridge, the trio jointly totaled 28.3% of votes cast. Combined they have 51,233.

The three Republican candidates received 8.76% of votes cast in the district. Alice Flanders tallied 7,729 votes, Dana Colson Jr. had 7,571 votes, and Bill Huff had 7,162 votes.

Clarkson, White, and McCormack ran a successful campaign as a team, McCormack noted.

“We did honk and wave together, we raised money together, we attended one another’s events,” he said.

“That was a good strategy and we were able to do that with sincerity, because I think we genuinely support and respect one another.”

McCormack, who makes his home in Bethel, offered a medical analogy for priorities in the coming session.

“There are health problems that are more immediate. I would say here that we have a similar thing … The most immediate issue is our economic issues. That said, the overarching issue, or big issue remains global warming and it is affecting us.” He highlighted long-term changes regarding climate change, weatherization, the affordability of switching to green energy for Vermonters, as well as “the perennial issues”, including school funding.

“I think the people of Windsor County are concerned about global warming. I think the people of Windsor county understand the complexity of the economic issues. I think we spoke a language to which the people responded,” he said.