Well, that didn’t take very long.
Less than a week after Senator Samuel Douglass (R-Orleans) resigned in disgrace following the leak of a national Young Republicans group chat, we have our first declared candidate for his seat – more than a year before the 2026 election.
According to an email sent by the Vermont Democratic Party and passed along to us by a source, Gaston Bathalon, who serves on the Troy Selectboard, is the first to throw his hat in the ring for this now-vacant seat.
Vermont does not have special elections, so Mr. Bathalon won’t be on anyone’s ballot until November, 2026. To fill the vacant seat for the upcoming session, the Orleans County Republicans will submit a list of three names to Governor Scott, who will then choose one to serve out the rest of the term.
On paper, Mr. Bathalon seems like a strong candidate for the Democrats in this seat – he’s from Bobby Starr country (Troy), he’s French Canadian, like many of his constituents (if you thought Matthew Vigneau was a very Franco name, I’ve got nothing on GASTON BATHALON), he’s a veteran, and, according to his website, he’s already secured the endorsements of former Senators Bobby Starr and Jane Kitchel, two giants of Kingdom Democratic politics.
The fact that Starr and Kitchel have endorsed him already and that the Vermont Democratic Party is sending emails on his behalf suggest that Bathalon is The Chosen One to contest this seat for the Democrats next year. However, it’s very unusual for a statewide campaign to kick off this early in Vermont, let alone a legislative race in a very rural district. Many state legislative campaigns don’t begin in earnest until the end of the legislative session, around Memorial Day.
So why is Bathalon getting in so early? There are a couple of possible explanations. One, he (and the VDP) are trying to capitalize on the tail end of the Douglass news cycle to score an early fundraising haul. Two, he hopes that by getting in early, he can build up his name ID while the Republicans are still quibbling over who to put in the seat for the rest of the term. Could be a mix of both, and trying to cash in on the Douglass furor is smart politics.
However, former Rep. Katherine Sims ran an excellent campaign for this seat last year and spent nearly $75,000 only to lose by nineteen points. Money can only get you so far in a district like this, and Bathalon is a first-time candidate for anything other than selectboard. Last year was a red wave year, to be sure, but this seat would be a tough lift for a Democratic candidate even in a strong Democratic year.
Getting into a race more than a year before the election is a very interesting move. We here at Sugaring Off will be staying tuned! The 2026 campaign has officially BEGUN!
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