After a day of high drama in Vermont political circles, Chittenden County Democrats on Wednesday evening settled on three names to send Gov. Peter Shumlin as he considers who should fill the county’s vacant senate seat.
Among them was the race’s most recent entrant — and its heavy favorite: Michael Sirotkin, whose late wife, Sally Fox, held the seat until her death nearly two weeks ago.
Sirotkin’s announcement earlier Wednesday that he was interested in succeeding Fox roiled the contest and prompted three leading contenders to withdraw. But two other candidates — Williston Selectboard member Debbie Ingram (pictured at right) and Burlington management consultant Dawn Ellis — kept their names in the running.
In the end, the county Democrats gathered at Burlington’s Fletcher Free Library voted to send all three names to Shumlin.
With 60 eligible voters casting up to three votes each, Sirotkin won 48 votes, Ingram 33 and Ellis 20.
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Widows and widowers have been appointed to the seats of their deceased spouses for time immemorial, why should this time be any different? In four months all these people can start running for the seat. It’s not such a big deal. Jerman was a good choice until the clumsy way he dropped out after saying he’d stay in. His speech to the Chittenden Dems was downright strange.