Bennington County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026

Susan Haner is a certified candidate for high bailiff of Bennington County on the Vermont Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list. Resides in Bennington, Vermont. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.

Roscoe Harrington is a certified candidate for high bailiff of Bennington County on the Vermont Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list. Resides in Shaftsbury, Vermont. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.

Andrew "Andy" Shaw is a certified candidate for high bailiff of Bennington County on the Vermont Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list. Resides in Manchester, Vermont. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.

James A. Gulley Jr currently serves as sheriff of Bennington County, Vermont, per the Vermont Department of State's Attorneys and Sheriffs FY27 budget presentation. Resides in Bennington, Vermont. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.

Erica Albin Marthage has served as Bennington County State's Attorney since February 2007, after her election in November 2006, per her office's website. She is a graduate of the University of Vermont and the University of Connecticut School of Law, and previously served as a Deputy State's Attorney in Bennington, per the same source. She serves on the Bennington County Juvenile Justice Committee and the Executive Committee for the Department of State's Attorneys and Sheriffs, per her website.

McClintock has worked as an attorney and sitting judge with 42 years of experience serving families in Bennington County, per the campaign site. McClintock describes an approach guided by integrity, fairness, compassion, accessibility, and accountability, per the campaign site.

Bennington attorney in practice since 1993 whose work focuses on probate, trusts, guardianships and estate planning, and current president of the Vermont chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, per the Bennington Banner. He teaches trusts and estates as adjunct faculty and previously led the Bennington County Bar Association, the Banner reports, and he told the paper he would "treat all people with respect and kindness." No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026.

Mary C. Frost currently serves as assistant judge of Bennington County, Vermont, per the Vermont Assistant Judges directory. Previously served as the Bennington Unit Clerk from 2010 to 2015 and as court manager for the criminal and family divisions from 2003 to 2010, per Vermont Assistant Judges (vtassistantjudges.org). Worked as a paralegal in law firms from 1972 to 2003 before joining the court, per the same source. Resides in Shaftsbury, Vermont. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.

Brian W. Peat currently serves as assistant judge of Bennington County, Vermont, per the Vermont Assistant Judges directory. A lifelong Bennington resident and third-generation owner of his family's glass business, per Vermont Assistant Judges (vtassistantjudges.org). A longtime volunteer with the Bennington Rescue Squad, serving as past captain and president, per the same source. Resides in Bennington, Vermont. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.

Seth Bongartz is the incumbent Vermont state senator for the Bennington District, according to the Vermont General Assembly's 2026 member roster. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026; the Secretary of State's candidate list is the only verifiable source for Seth Bongartz.

Robert F. Plunkett is the incumbent Vermont state senator for the Bennington District, according to the Vermont General Assembly's 2026 member roster. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026; the Secretary of State's candidate list is the only verifiable source for Robert F. Plunkett.

Rachel Shaw is a construction business owner who served in the Massachusetts Army National Guard as a combat engineer and worked in hazardous-materials spill response before moving to Bennington in 2023, per the Bennington Banner. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026; the Secretary of State's candidate list is the only verifiable source for Rachel Shaw.

Lawrence "Spike" Whitmire has worked in real estate and construction in Bennington County for more than 30 years and serves as board president of a local independent school, per his campaign site.

Williams has worked as a police officer, firefighter, EMT and search and rescue coordinator, and later served as an EMS executive director managing his region's response during the COVID-19 pandemic, per the campaign site. He moved to Vermont 18 years ago and owns the Land Rover Experience in Manchester and a lodge near Magic Mountain, per the campaign site. He lives with Type 1 diabetes, which he says shapes his focus on healthcare policy, per the campaign site.

Jonathan Cooper is the incumbent member of the Vermont House of Representatives for Bennington-1, seeking a new term, according to the Bennington Banner. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026; the Secretary of State's candidate list is the only verifiable source for Jonathan Cooper.

Charles Edward Jewett of Pownal is the Republican candidate for Vermont House, Bennington-1 District on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Vermont Secretary of State's general election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026; the Secretary of State's candidate list is the only verifiable source for Charles Edward Jewett.

Anthony A. Cook owns Classic Metal Restorations in North Bennington and earned a business degree from the Community College of Vermont in 2004, per the Bennington Banner. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026; the Secretary of State's candidate list is the only verifiable source for Anthony A. Cook.

Timothy R. Corcoran II is the incumbent Vermont state representative for the Bennington-2 District, according to the Vermont General Assembly's 2026 member roster. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026; the Secretary of State's candidate list is the only verifiable source for Timothy R. Corcoran II.

William "Will" Greer is the sitting Vermont state representative for the Bennington-2 District, per the Vermont Legislature's roster. He also serves as a Justice of the Peace for the Town of Bennington on the Board of Civil Authority, per his campaign site.

David K. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026; the Secretary of State's candidate list is the only verifiable source for David K. Durfee.

Victor K. Harwood Jr. is a repeat Republican nominee for Bennington-3, having also run in 2020, 2022, and 2024, according to VTDigger's 2026 primary election guide. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026; the Secretary of State's candidate list is the only verifiable source for Victor K. Harwood Jr..

Alford "Al" Clayton, of Sandgate, was born and raised in Arlington and owns a small construction business, per the Manchester Journal. He served in the Vermont National Guard's Bennington armor division.

Fernandez is district manager of the Bennington County Conservation District, a regional conservation commissioner and an operating farmer, per the campaign site. He co-chairs the Bennington County Food Security Council and has helped develop the Bennington Veteran Incubator Farm, per the campaign site.

Robert Hunter is the incumbent Vermont House representative for Bennington-4, seeking re-election, per the Bennington Banner. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026; the Secretary of State's candidate list is the only verifiable source for Robert Hunter.

Thomas West, of Manchester, is a former member of the U.S. Army who serves as Vice-Chair of the Manchester Planning Commission and as a Justice of the Peace, per his campaign site and the Manchester Journal.

Thomas "Tom" Blakely is a Democratic candidate for the two-seat Bennington-5 House district. A retired information technology professional who has lived in Bennington since 2014, he owned two businesses during his career, one of which was named a regional Small Business Leader of the Year, and he serves on the town's Historic Preservation Commission and the board of Bennington Community Solar, according to the Bennington Banner. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026; the Secretary of State's candidate list is the only verifiable source for Thomas "Tom" Blakely.

Mary A. Morrissey of Bennington is the Republican candidate for Vermont House, Bennington-5 District on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Vermont Secretary of State's general election candidate list. Mary A. Morrissey is a sitting member for the district, per the Vermont House of Representatives's official member directory (legislature.vermont.gov). No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026; the Secretary of State's candidate list is the only verifiable source for Mary A. Morrissey.

Michael Nigro of Bennington is the Democratic candidate for Vermont House, Bennington-5 District on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Vermont Secretary of State's general election candidate list. Michael Nigro is a sitting member for the district, per the Vermont House of Representatives's official member directory (legislature.vermont.gov). No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026; the Secretary of State's candidate list is the only verifiable source for Michael Nigro.

Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault grew up in Manchester and has nearly 40 years of community service experience, including work on veterans' causes, according to her campaign site. She is the incumbent representative for the Bennington-Rutland House district.

Mike Rice has worked as a farm apprentice and dairy farm and creamery manager, earned a master's degree in policy from Vermont Law School, and led development efforts for the Northeast Organic Farming Association, according to his campaign site. He previously served as the Bennington-Rutland district's state representative.

Chris Pritchard is from Pawlet, was born in Burlington and was raised in South Poultney, graduating from Poultney High School in 1980, according to the Rutland Herald. He spent 40 years in the automotive field, most of it as a service manager for a Chevrolet and Volkswagen dealership in Manchester, Vermont. Pritchard is the sitting Vermont House member for the Rutland-Bennington district. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026; the Secretary of State's candidate list is the only verifiable source for Chris Pritchard.

Van Oort has served in town government since 2020, helping bring high-speed internet to underserved parts of town and leading a grant effort to replace the town hall and library's HVAC system with geothermal heating, per the campaign site. She also worked to simplify local zoning regulations for property development, per the campaign site.

E. Stuart Coleman of Winhall is the Republican candidate for Vermont House, Windham-Windsor-Bennington District on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Vermont Secretary of State's general election candidate list. E. Stuart Coleman, raised in Bondville and living in Winhall, operated Coleman's Auto, a family automotive repair and towing business, for more than 50 years, according to his campaign site. He is a 57-year member of the Winhall Fire Department and a former fire chief, and served 12 years on the Winhall Select Board, six of them as chair, per the site.

Chris Morrow has spent two decades as owner of Northshire Bookstores in Manchester and served on the Weston Select Board, according to the Brattleboro Reformer. He served in the Peace Corps in Thailand, earned a graduate degree in environmental policy, and has served on the Flood Brook and Long Trail school boards, the paper reported. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026; the Secretary of State's candidate list is the only verifiable source for Chris Morrow.