Incumbent Senator runs for reelection in Addison County Republican Primary 49%
By Timothy Page26%
7/30/2026, 5:20:37 AM
BS Summary: This article contains 22 faulty reasoning types, including Unattributed Quote, Halo Effect, and Negativity Bias, with Self-Serving Bias as the most egregious example at 24.9% saturation with 214 hits. Analysis detected 869 faulty-reasoning hits from 860 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 44% and a BS Rank of 49% (13,299 of 25,730 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 51.70% of the article peer group.
In Addison County, three candidates, Andrea Treadway, Andrew Klein, and incumbent Steve Heffernan, are competing for the Republican nomination for two senate seats in a district that has been historically Democratic.
Incumbent Democrat Sen.
Ruth Hardy is seeking reelection.
Incumbent Sen.
Steven Heffernan, who won his seat in the Senate in 2024 after defeating longtime Democratic Sen.
Chris Bray, is seeking a second term.
Heffernan was one of six Republicans elected to the Senate that year amid a statewide property tax revolt and said he is running again because he believes “common sense” voices remain underrepresented in Montpelier and that he has already shown he can make a difference.
Before entering politics, Heffernan served 30 years in the Vermont Air National Guard as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician, including two deployments to Afghanistan.
He retired from the Guard in June 2025.
He has also owned several local businesses, including 802 Excavating, GHR Metal Recycling, and Heffernan Inspection and Repair.
During his first term, Heffernan served on the Senate Agriculture and Education Committees.
In an interview with the Vermont Daily Chronicle, he said his background in agriculture gives him an understanding of the hard work farmers face.
His goal is to help farmers keep agriculture economically viable.
He described the Senate Agriculture Committee as one of the least partisan committees and said he was integral in securing an extension for farmers who responsibly use paraquat, giving farmers time to transition.
Heffernan was critical of his time on the Senate Education Committee, describing its work as highly partisan and arguing that much of the committee’s work across both years of his term was ultimately disregarded in favor of heavily amended bills on the floor.
He said the committee made little meaningful difference in shaping education policy.
Heffernan voted in favor of H.454 (Act 73) in 2025, saying his constituents wanted change and lower property taxes.
He said he believed it represented the best available path forward at the time.
In 2026, however, he voted against H.955, known as Act 170, becoming one of only two Republican senators to oppose the education reform bill.
Although he often disagrees with her, Heffernan said he maintains respect for his fellow Addison County Sen.
Ruth Hardy, though he feels that respect is often unreciprocated.
He said he is willing to work with any legislator regardless of party and will support any policies that are in the best interest of his district and the state.
Heffernan is proud of his work on rural issues, particularly efforts to roll back portions of Act 181, including the “Road Rule” and Tier 3 provisions.
He said he introduced repeal language for parts of the law and believes those efforts helped build momentum for later changes.
He introduced legislation that would provide reduced property taxes for wetlands by the state, however, the bill didn’t make it off the wall in his first term.
His campaign focuses on reducing property taxes, expanding housing opportunities, lowering healthcare costs, and removing barriers to economic development.
He has also supported tax relief involving military retirement income, Social Security income, and credits for working families.
On climate policies, he said lawmakers should be willing to repeal or amend state law when those laws create unnecessary hardships.
He cited the Clean Heat Standard as an example.
While acknowledging the importance of environmental issues, Heffernan said that Vermont’s contribution to global emissions is relatively small and that state policy should prioritize affordability.
Asked what distinguishes him from other Republican candidates, Heffernan pointed to his legislative experience, saying he has spent the past two years asking difficult questions, bringing practical experience to the Statehouse, and focusing on making Vermont more affordable for future Vermonters.
He said one of his primary motivations for seeking another term is ensuring that his grandchildren can afford to live in Vermont.
In 2026, Heffernan faced criticism and rebukes during the legislative session after he made remarks during floor debate on H.578, a bill addressing penalties for animal cruelty offenses.
During debate, he raised a hypothetical question involving gender identity and how the bill might interact with other laws.
The comments drew instant criticism from his Democratic seat mate Sen.
Ruth Hardy, Democrats statewide, and political pundits.
About the controversy, Heffernan said his intent was not to comment on transgender people or the LGBTQ community, but to ask unanswered legal questions created by what he views as vague and untested policy language.
He said that his remarks have been taken out of context.
He acknowledged that he could have phrased his question differently but said that it is important for our citizen legislature to ask difficult questions to avoid unintended consequences of legislation.
He said many constituents who later spoke with him in person understood his reasoning after discussing the issue face-to-face.
According to his latest campaign finance filing, Heffernan has raised $600 and reported spending $44.29.
The post Incumbent Senator runs for reelection in Addison County Republican Primary first appeared on Vermont Daily Chronicle .
The post Incumbent Senator runs for reelection in Addison County Republican Primary appeared first on Vermont Daily Chronicle .
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