Hojun Choi
The Democratic primary in Vermont’s Washington-4 state House district is already picking up steam, with two candidates throwing their names into the mix in recent
weeks.
State Rep. Conor Casey (D-Montpelier) announced earlier this year that he would not seek reelection, which leaves one of the spots in the two-member district up for grabs. State Rep. Kate McCann, who also represents the district, is seeking a third term.
Montpelier City Councilor Pelin Kohn has announced that she intends to run for the seat. Jared Duval, executive director of the climate and energy advocacy group Energy Action Network, announced in late-April that he will also enter the race.
McCann endorsed Duval at his April 27 campaign announcement event.
“Jared’s statewide experience with economic and energy policy research and analysis will be immensely valuable in the legislature,” McCann said in a statement.
May 28 is the candidate filing deadline for major party candidates who want to run in the August 2026 primary election, according to the website for the Vermont Secretary of State.
Kohn, when asked about Duval’s announcement and McCann’s endorsement, said she thinks the people who have announced to run in the Democratic primary for Washington-4 thus far are “all good candidates.”
“And each candidate can make their personal decisions, so we should respect each other’s decisions,” Kohn added.
Duval, a Montpelier resident, ran for a state senate seat for the Washington district in 2022.
Although he lost in the Democratic primary, he said he was heartened by the support he received in Montpelier during his previous campaign.
“It was really encouraging to me that the people who know me best from where I’m from wanted to see me serve,” Duval said. “It encouraged me to step back up.”
