By Kolby LaMarhce

Among all the results the same late Tuesday night, none were more shocking than the ballot returns of Burlington.

At the same time that Burlington voted for a change in the progressive leadership of the State’s Attorney, voting by a 1-point margin in favor of Bram Kranichfeld, voters too chose progressive Kevin Bloom over Democrat centrist incumbent Sheriff Dan Gamelin. 

The two results are, clearly, at odds with each other. Bloom, who vowed to all but halt eviction proceedings and enforcement, garnered endorsements from Progressives like Councilor Melo Grant, Rep. Brian Cina, Councilor Gene Bergman, and the like. 

Kranichfeld, conversely, was endorsed by a slate of people who could not be more different, politically, than those mentioned for Bloom, think council President Ben Traverse, Stewart Ledbetter. 

Neither victory was clear, however. Kranichfeld won by less than 200 votes, where Bloom won by over 500, but each was puzzling nonetheless.

Burlington, too, chose UVM adjunct sociology professor and former adviser to Sen. Bernie Sanders, Nikhil Goyal, as their top state senate pick.

Goyal made affordability the core of his progressive campaign, arguing that working people are being priced out of Vermont and the answers, he says, are in policies like universal primary care. 

Goyal has just two days ago left the Chittenden Central Democratic primary as the best-funded legislative challenger of the 2026 cycle, raising over $140,000 in a contest transformed by the departure of 8-term Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth.

He reported knocking on more than 4,000 doors and campaign finance records show massive investments in digital and print advertising, with some voters receiving more than 5 postcards in less than 3 months. 

Elaine Haney, the other major challenger vying for the open 3rd seat, raised about $60,000, well more than double the amounts reported by either incumbent at mid-cycle filing deadlines. 

Haney, a longtime Essex Junction activist who previously served on the city council, the selectboard, the planning commission, and as executive director of Emerge Vermont, emphasized practical problem-solving drawn from local government experience. In a mailer sent just before election day, Haney positioned her experience in roller-derby as demonstrative of her ability to “make tough calls”. 

But in the end, incumbent Senators Martine Larocque Gulick and Tanya Vyhovsky defended their legislative seats  – and their records, moving on to the November election with no Republican opposition in sight.  

Another hotly contested state senate primary occurred in Chittenden County’s South-East district, where unofficial returns showed the three incumbents prevailing in a five-way contest for three seats. 

Thomas Chittenden received the most, 9,332 votes, with long-time Senator Virginia “Ginny” Lyons a close second at 9,149. 

Kesha Ram Hinsdale, who first entered elected politics while at UVM, tagged behind by just a bit, 8,425 votes. 

Challengers Elizabeth Hunt and Joanna Grossman placed fourth and fifth respectively. More than 38,600 votes were cast in the contest and voters, in recent months, and been inundated with text messages, phone calls, mailers, and more. Nothing in that race changed. 

The incumbents will advance to face Republican Bruce Roy, who came just 5-points behind Ram-Hinsdale in 2024, and young Republican Javen Sears in November.

The Southeast district includes Burlington’s South End, South Burlington, Shelburne, Charlotte, Williston, Hinesburg, Jericho, Richmond, Underhill, Bolton, and St. George.