St. Johnsbury voters made a clean sweep last night, replacing two Democratic incumbents with two Republican newcomers to the Vermont House of Representatives. Bob South received the fewest votes, 759, in the close four-way race. With 803 votes, Michelle Fay came a little closer to victory, but lost her seat after one term in Montpelier.
“It’s disappointing, clearly, I think I’ve worked really hard but you know I congratulate the two winners, they ran strong campaigns and they did what they had to do to get the votes out,” Fay said soon after votes were tallied.
She added that the party in power during off-year elections often takes a hit for policies at all levels of government that may be unpopular or hard to understand.
Across town at a popular restaurant, winner Janssen Willhoit was savoring a drink with his upset victory. The Republican has served time in jail for white collar crime and is now a public defender. Willhoit edged out social service agency director Michelle Fay by only 27 votes.
“Since April I’ve been going door to door in our town and talking with voters and they, we wanted change here in St. Johnsbury because we are a more conservative town and the constituents at least here in our town didn’t feel like they were being represented and so I think myself and Scott have the same mindset as those we represent,” Willhoit said.
He meant Scott Beck, the other Republican winner, a bookstore owner and teacher who got the lion’s share of votes, 1,085. Both Beck and Willhoit say they will try to rein in spending when they get to the Statehouse.
