Montpelier — After Vermont’s recent elections, which saw Democrats lose their supermajority in the state Senate, the party held a caucus on Saturday to reflect on their losses and plan for the 2025 legislative session.
The meeting resulted in a leadership shakeup, with some members holding onto their positions while others were replaced.
Senators-elect gathered at the Statehouse for the first time since what Sen. Becca White, D-Windsor, called an exceptionally difficult election night. Republicans gained six seats, flipping the Senate to a 17-13 majority — the closest margin for Democrats in nearly 25 years.
As part of their response to the setback, the Democratic caucus voted to replace Majority Leader Sen. Alison Clarkson, D-Windsor, with Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, D/P-Chittenden Southeast. Ram Hinsdale won the leadership position with 9 votes to Clarkson’s 7, with one senator abstaining.
During her nomination, Sen. Andrew Perchlik, D/P-Washington, emphasized Ram Hinsdale’s strengths in communication and messaging, which he believed were lacking in the party’s recent campaigns. He also noted her ambition as a valuable trait for political leadership.
With her new role, Ram Hinsdale will likely have to step down from her current position as chair of the Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing, and General Affairs due to a longstanding tradition of not allowing caucus leaders to head policy committees.
However, she proposed changing this tradition, arguing that it would allow Democrats to maintain more control over leadership positions in a closely divided chamber. Her proposal was rejected by a 9-6 vote.
Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth, D/P-Chittenden Central, was re-nominated to lead the Senate, though not unanimously. He received 15 ‘yes’ votes, with two abstentions. He acknowledged that the narrow margin meant Democrats would need to work closely with Republicans to pass legislation, especially since Republicans now have enough votes to break ties.
Democrats also elected Sen. Becca White as the new whip, with 14 votes in her favor, and nominated Sen. Ginny Lyons for the Committee on Committees, which handles Senate appointments and policy direction.
Looking ahead to the 2025 session, Baruth called property tax reform a top priority. He suggested a cooperative approach with Gov. Phil Scott’s administration to address the issue early in the session, noting that without a supermajority, Democrats will need Scott’s support to pass a tax plan.
In addition to property tax relief, Democrats highlighted other key policy goals, including education finance reform, as they move forward with a more balanced Senate.