ELECTIONS

Primary Elections 2024: Who are Vermont's U.S. House and Senate candidates?

Megan Stewart
Burlington Free Press

Vermont voters will go to the polls on Aug. 13 to choose major party candidates for the U.S. Senate and House.

Incumbent Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent who is on the Democratic ballot, and Rep. Becca Balint, a Democrat, face no primary challengers.

There also is only one candidate each on the Republican primary ballot for senator and representative.

As of noon on June 7, only two minor party candidates had filed to run for Congress from Vermont: U.S. Senate hopeful Matt Hill, an Independent from Burke, and U.S House hopeful Adam Ortiz, an Independent from Newport City.

In addition to U.S. Senate and House seats, Vermonters on primary day will also choose party candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer, secretary of state, auditor of accounts, attorney general and high bailiff. All 50 state senators, 150 state representatives and 1,800 justices of the peace are also on the ballot this year.

The U.S. Capitol building as seen on Feb. 11, 2024 in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Senate

Democrats

  • Incumbent Bernie Sanders, Burlington: Sanders is seeking a fourth term in the U.S. Senate, having held his seat since 2007. Prior to his stint in the U.S Senate, Sanders served in the U.S House of Representatives for 16 years and as Burlington mayor for eight years. He also ran for U.S President in 2016 and 2020, failing both times to receive the Democratic nomination. Sanders − who has historically declined the Democratic nomination for U.S Senate in favor of running as an Independent in the general election − is the longest serving independent member of Congress in history.

Republicans

  • Gerald Malloy, Weathersfield: Malloy, who graduated from West Point Academy, served 22 years in U.S Army and worked 16 years as a defense contractor. He has a background in business, earning a MBA from Temple University. He previously won the Republican nomination for U.S senator in 2022, but garnered 28% of the votes and lost to Democrat Peter Welch in the general election.
U.S Rep. Becca Balint, Vermont-D, back in 2016 when she was a State Senator.

U.S. House

Democrats

  • Incumbent: Becca Balint, Brattleboro: Balint is a former educator who was elected to the U.S House in 2022. She previously served in the Vermont Senate from 2015-2023.

Republicans

  • Mark Coester, Westminster: Coester is a small business owner. He previously ran for the U.S Senate and the Vermont Senate in 2022 as an Independent.

Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at mstewartyounger@gannett.com.