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Endorses Benson
The race
One state Senate seat is at stake in Vermont's Orange District, for a two-year term. The incumbent senator is John Benson (Republican). The confirmed general-election roster, from Wikipedia's district general-election table (which compiles the Vermont Secretary of State's general-election candidate list), is: John Benson (Republican); Monique Priestley (Democratic). Chamber control is rated Safe Democratic by both Sabato's Crystal Ball (January 22, 2026) and State Navigate (October 24, 2026), per the predictions tables compiled on Wikipedia; no district-level rating was published in the sources consulted.
The candidates, claim by claim
John Benson (R), nominee. John Benson is the appointed incumbent: Governor Phil Scott appointed the Brookfield Selectboard chair to the seat after Senator Larry Hart stepped down in October 2025; Benson is running for a full term (Wikipedia, Orange district section, citing VTDigger).
Pros: The Republican nominee in this race; Republicans and conservatives are in-tent under this publication's values (Constitution, capitalism and the free market, Christianity, freedom). A sitting incumbent whose constituents know the record. Cons: No proven flaw meeting this publication's standard was located in the compiled record. The flaw, plainly: None proven was located in the compiled record.
Monique Priestley (D), nominee. Monique Priestley is a sitting state representative (Orange-2) who is leaving the House to run for this seat (Wikipedia, Orange district section and House retirements list).
Pros: A willing nominee giving the district’s Democratic voters a choice on the ballot. Cons: No documented break with the Democratic Party toward this publication's values was located in the compiled record — no Manchin-test break. In the Senate, a Democratic organizing vote is heavy: it carries chamber control and the judicial pipeline with it. The flaw, plainly: Enabler class, not extremist — a reliable party-line vote, which is the standing reason the exception for a Democrat is not earned here.
OUR CALL
We endorse John Benson (R). This district elects 1 senator and the endorsement covers the Republican slate. No proven flaw was located in any Republican nominee's compiled record. No Democratic nominee passes the Manchin test on any record located — no documented in-service break with their party toward this publication's values — and in the Senate that organizing vote is the heaviest on the ballot. No extremist classification is made for any candidate here except where the article states the personal-program test and its result.
For the complete Election 2026 breakdown — every race, claim by claim — see the full coverage on our website.
Vote early. Research your candidates. Choose the best moderates, whatever their party — no extremism from either side. And encourage your friends and family to do the same.
Sources
- Wikipedia, "2026 Vermont Senate election" — district general-election tables, incumbents, retirements and primary results (accessed October 25, 2026) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Vermont_Senate_election
- Vermont Secretary of State, "General Election Candidates" (the official candidate list underlying the Wikipedia district tables; cited there as retrieved July 27, 2026)
- Wikipedia, "Vermont Senate" — current membership and fusion lines (accessed October 25, 2026)
- Record gaps: no district-level legislative voting records, campaign-finance figures, or biographies beyond the offices and facts printed above were verified for the nominees in this district at this sourcing depth; no district-level competitiveness rating beyond the chamber ratings printed above was published in the sources consulted
- Standing check: no pedophile-association material meeting the proven standard (knowing association with or defense of a convicted pedophile) was located for any candidate on this ballot
Result pending. No verified call (Associated Press or official) as of November 4, 2026. This page will be updated when the race is called or certified. The original article above is unchanged.
AI-assisted article — but the sources are human, and the facts are very real.
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