Vermont GOP Sees Surge in House Candidates Amid Tax Hike, Presidential Race

The Vermont Republican Party has recorded 22 new candidates for state House races, adding to the 74 already on the ballot, following a "double-digit" property tax hike and renewed focus on the presidential race.

Vermont's political landscape is shifting as the Republican Party experiences a resurgence in support, with 22 new candidates joining the race for state House seats. This surge comes on top of the 74 Republican candidates already on the ballot for the 150-member chamber.

The surge is attributed to a "double-digit" property tax hike enacted recently in Vermont, as well as voters' renewed focus on the presidential race.

Vermont GOP Sees Surge in House Candidates Amid Tax Hike, Presidential Race

"I think we're absolutely poised to pick up seats from where we have been, there seems to be much more energy and cohesion on the Republican side than we've had in a while," said Paul Dame, chairman of the Vermont Republican Party.

This development is particularly noteworthy given Vermont's reputation as a blue state. However, Gov. Phil Scott, a moderate Republican who is the most popular governor in the country, has actively participated in party work, according to Dame.

Vermont GOP Sees Surge in House Candidates Amid Tax Hike, Presidential Race

Many of the new Republican candidates had previously been on the fence about running. However, after the primary ballot was finalized in May and voters realized there were vacancies on the final ballot, they decided to organize write-in campaigns.

Once 25 voters write the same name in for a House seat or 50 voters for a state Senate seat, that name will appear on the November general election ballot.

Vermont GOP Sees Surge in House Candidates Amid Tax Hike, Presidential Race

Vermont Republicans still trail their Democratic counterparts, but the increase in candidates is a sign of a shift in the state's political dynamics.

"It's a story of regular voters, seeing the need for change and deciding that they're willing to step up and be part of that change," said Dame.

Vermont GOP Sees Surge in House Candidates Amid Tax Hike, Presidential Race

Inflation and affordability concerns have contributed to the Republican surge, with the party emphasizing these issues in its messaging.

Despite the Democrats holding a supermajority in the legislature, Gov. Scott has issued a record number of vetoes, which have been overridden by Democratic lawmakers, leading to tensions between the two parties.

Vermont's voters have a history of supporting candidates from different ideological backgrounds, as evidenced by the popularity of both Scott, a Republican, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a self-described "democratic socialist."

"Vermonters vote for authenticity," added Dame. "And both Gov. Phil Scott and Sen. Bernie Sanders have a relationship with Vermonters that Vermonters know that they believe what they're saying – they say very different things, but they know that they can trust what they're saying there and they're not pandering."

Both Scott and Sanders have been critical of their respective parties, with Sanders criticizing President Biden and Democratic members of Congress, while Scott was the first GOP governor to back impeachment inquiries against former President Trump.

In the latest University of New Hampshire poll, Sanders leads his Republican challenger Gerald Malloy 66-25%, while Scott leads Democrat Esther Charlestin by a similar 55-28%.