Campaign season begins: Waterbury state reps to seek re-election

May 14, 2022  |  By Lisa Scagliotti 

State Reps. Theresa Wood and Tom Stevens, both Waterbury Democrats, say they will seek re-election to continue representing Waterbury, Bolton, Huntington and Buel's Gore in the Washington-Chittenden House district. Courtesy photo

The Vermont Legislature wrapped up its work for the biennium this week, adjourning on Thursday. 

Along with the conclusion of the session comes a flurry of announcements from lawmakers and elected office-holders regarding their intentions given that it’s an election year. 

The entire 180-member General Assembly will be on the ballot in November along with statewide offices from governor to treasurer. Likewise, voters will fill two of Vermont’s three seats in Congress -- U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy’s seat will be open as well as Rep. Peter Welch’s spot in House as he is seeking to join Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Senate.

Close to home, both of Waterbury’s representatives to the Vermont House say they plan to file the necessary forms to run for re-election. Rep. Theresa Wood and Rep. Tom Stevens, both Democrats from Waterbury, are the House members for the Washington-Chittenden district covering Waterbury, Bolton, Huntington and Buel’s Gore. 

First elected to the House in 2008, Stevens chairs the House Committee on General, Housing, and Military Affairs. Appointed to the House in 2015, Wood will be seeking her fourth term; she is vice chair of the House Committee on Human Services. 

Both told Waterbury Roundabout on Friday that they plan to file to run again. 

So far no challengers have announced plans to run for the seats. May 26 is the deadline to register with the Secretary of State’s office to appear on the primary ballot. Vermont’s primary election will be held on Aug. 9; the general election is Nov. 8. 

Waterbury is in the Washington state Senate district which has three seats. Incumbent Sen. Anthony Pollina, P/D, has announced he will not seek re-election. Sen. Andrew Perchlik, D/P, and Sen. Ann Cummings, a Democrat, both plan to run again. Jeremy Hansen, an associate professor of computer science at Norwich University announced that he is running for a Washington district Senate seat. He previously ran for the House as a Progressive.