Andrew Perchlik reelected to Vermont Senate for a fifth term

Seventeen thousand three hundred ten ballots carried Andrew Perchlik back to Montpelier on Tuesday, securing the Marshfield Democrat/Progressive a fifth term in the Vermont Senate and completing a sweep of the Washington County district’s three seats for incumbents, Waterbury Roundabout reported. Cummings and Watson prevailed over three Republican challengers as Democrats moved toward a supermajority in the Legislature.

The margins were decisive. Perchlik led the three winners with 17,310 votes. The Republican challengers trailed significantly: Rob LaClair, a Montpelier resident and former member of the Vermont House, collected 10,268 votes to finish fourth; Chris Neddo of Barre Town received 9,353 for fifth; and Peter Schmeeckle garnered 8,034 for sixth.

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Cummings and Watson Frame Victory Around Democratic Participation

Cummings told Waterbury Roundabout she was grateful to the voters for electing her to another term, noting that residents have supported her for a long time and that she cannot state just how much she appreciates it.

“I love what I do, and I want to keep, now more than ever, maintaining democracy and giving everyone a chance to be heard,” she said.

Looking forward, Cummings cautioned that the coming two years will be tough as the state anticipates a decrease in federal funding. She said Vermont faces serious affordability challenges that will require difficult choices. Though she noted that Democrats appeared on their way to a supermajority following Tuesday’s election—and as a Democrat called that “great news”—she expressed uncertainty about whether that makeup serves democracy itself.

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“Democracy depends on everyone having a voice and people are seeing the negative results of a supermajority on the federal level,” she said.

Watson echoed the sentiment in an interview, saying she too was grateful for the support of the voters and thanking all the candidates who ran. She observed that running for public office “can be a lot” and that it is good for democracy when voters have choices. She said she is excited to represent the Washington District again over the next two years, where she plans to work on protecting democracy, building more housing, protecting the environment, and bringing property taxes down.

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Perchlik said he was thankful to voters for allowing him to keep serving. He disclosed that prior to the election he had intended to campaign for president pro tempore of the Senate, a post held by Phil Baruth, who opted not to seek reelection. Following his victory Tuesday, Perchlik said he now has the votes to secure that leadership post.

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The leadership bid comes as Democrats appear poised to hold a supermajority in the Legislature while facing an expected Republican governor. Perchlik said he has worked well with Gov. Phil Scott in the past, but acknowledged it will be a different environment this time. He noted that bringing everyone together will not be easy with a supermajority because a bigger tent means more ideological diversity within the Democratic caucus.

Still, depending on how the full Legislature shakes out, Perchlik suggested there may be enough Democrats to support legislation even if losing two or three votes, meaning Democrats would still be able to override the governor’s veto.

Andrew Perchlik reelected to Vermont Senate for a fifth term

“As the pro tem, we’ll have to see how people show up and how we work on the things we said we were going to work on,” he said, citing issues with affordability and housing impacting the state.