Resigning Sen. Douglass Will Not Have a Say in His Replacement, Governor's Office Confirms
Despite media speculation, Governor Phil Scott's office indicates it will bypass the resigning senator's role on the county GOP committee following his controversial resignation.
Following widespread speculation, Governor Phil Scott’s office has confirmed that resigning State Senator Sam Douglass will not be involved in the process of selecting his own replacement for the Orleans County Senate seat.
The confirmation provides a clear answer to a significant procedural conflict: Douglass, who announced his resignation last week amid controversy, currently serves as the chair of the Orleans County Republican Committee. That committee is the very body normally tasked with recommending replacement candidates to the Governor.
Amanda Wheeler, Press Secretary for the Office of the Governor, addressed the issue directly on Tuesday.
“It’s highly unlikely we would want to put him in a position to make recommendations on candidates to appoint to his former seat,” Wheeler stated. She further clarified the administration’s stance, noting, “it doesn’t seem fair to put him in that position given the circumstances.”
Wheeler also confirmed that the Governor “fully intends” to appoint a successor before the next legislative session begins.
The Procedural Conflict
The uncertainty around the replacement process began immediately after Douglass announced his intention to resign.
According to state law, when a legislative seat becomes vacant, the governor has the power to appoint a replacement. By tradition and statute, the governor requests a list of recommended candidates from the political party committee of the district which the departing legislator represented.
In this case, that body is the Orleans County Republican Committee.
Reporting from VTDigger on Monday highlighted the potential conflict, noting that as of that morning, Douglass had not officially resigned from his role as chair of the county party.
Chet Greenwood, the treasurer for the Orleans County Republican Committee, told VTDigger that Douglass had not resigned as chair and that it would be “hard for him to keep his position.”
Greenwood also stated that the committee had not yet formally begun the process of compiling a list of potential replacements.
Background on the Resignation
Senator Douglass, a first-term lawmaker, faced intense and immediate pressure to resign from leaders across Vermont’s political spectrum last week.
The calls for his resignation followed a report from Politico which revealed bigoted and hateful remarks made by Douglass and his wife, Brianna, in a private Telegram group chat for Young Republicans.
According to the exposé, the group chat included members referring to rape as “epic” and expressing “love” for Hitler, alongside a multitude of other racist and homophobic comments.
Douglass announced he would resign effective noon on Monday, October 20.
What Happens Next
While the Governor’s office has made its position clear, the Orleans County Republican Committee must still formally convene to assemble its list of recommendations.
According to Greenwood, any of the 20 towns within the Orleans County Senate district with an active GOP caucus can have a say in the replacement process. The district also includes the town of Montgomery in Franklin County and four towns in Caledonia County.
It remains unclear who might be on the list of recommendations. VTDigger reported that in the 2024 Republican primary, Douglass defeated Aime Conrad Bellavance. The seat was previously held for many years by Bobby Starr, a moderate Democrat.
Although the appointment will fill the seat for the remainder of the term, at least one candidate is already looking toward the next election. Gaston Bathalon, a Democrat from Troy, announced on Monday that he would run for the Orleans County Senate seat in November 2026.