House candidate forums scheduled for Huntington and Waterbury
June 28, 2024 | By Lisa ScagliottiUPDATE: The candidate forum in Huntington on July 11 has been cancelled due to flood recovery. The event may be rescheduled for later this month.
With the August 13 Vermont primary election on the horizon, the first two local events have been scheduled for voters to talk to and hear from the four candidates on the ballot for the Washington-Chittenden Vermont House district.
Washington-Chittenden House primary candidates left to right: Democrat Elizabeth Brown and Republican Jonathan Griffin, both from Waterbury; incumbent Reps. Tom Stevens and Theresa Wood, both Waterbury Democrats. Courtesy photos and Glenn Russell photo
Waterbury Democratic primary candidate Elizabeth Brown has organized two “town hall”-style forums – one each in Huntington and Waterbury – in July. The first is scheduled for July 11 at the Huntington Town Library at 7 p.m. and the second on July 17 at the Main Street fire station in Waterbury at 7 p.m.
The Washington-Chittenden House district covers Bolton, Huntington, Buel’s Gore and Waterbury. Both current state Reps. Tom Stevens and Theresa Wood, Waterbury Democrats, are running for re-election. Political newcomer Brown is also on the Democratic ballot. One Republican candidate, Jonathan Griffin of Waterbury, is on the GOP ballot.
The top two vote-getters for each party will be on the November 5 general election ballot. Additional independent or secondary party candidates may also be added to the November ballot as caucus and filing deadlines are separate from the primary election.
Looking to hear from voters, Brown said she took the initiative to schedule the somewhat informal gatherings. She said she has invited neutral hosts – selectboard chairs from both towns – to moderate the discussions Waterbury Select Board Chair Roger Clapp has agreed to July 17, she said.
“This is not a debate format,” Brown said. “This is more about letting the community speak, share ideas and concerns about the state and legislative issues so that all candidates can hear what is top-of-mind for our voters.”
Should the events be recorded or live-streamed, this post will be updated with links.
Voters can request absentee/early ballots now either online on the Secretary of State’s website on the My Voter Page at mvp.vermont.gov or by contacting their town clerk by phone or email. Early ballots should be available by mid-July, according to the Secretary of State’s website.
See an earlier post about all of the local legislative races here.